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By Aly M. Mohammad

The Howland Hook Terminal Facility located in Staten Island, New York is one of the most active container terminals in the Northeast United States. Due to the high capacity of the facility, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) recently acquired the adjacent 37-acre Port Ivory Facility. Expansion of this Site facilitates the additional transfer of goods for rail transport, where formerly the facility was solely highway transport. Upon completion, the facility will have the ability to transfer containers directly to a freight rail line onsite by crossing from Howland Hook Site to the Port Ivory Site via a proposed bridge over Bridge Creek. The geology of the Port Ivory Site consists of shallow glacial deposits left by the leading edge of the last advance of the Wisconsin Glacier. Glacial and marine action over the millennia and the modifications of past construction combined to form a challenging site geologically. Prior to the PANYNJ acquiring the site, the Port Ivory Facility was occupied by Proctor and Gamble for nearly 100 years. Over the course of time, the site has had a variety of structures constructed and demolished at the site. The earliest structures were often supported on shallow foundations and the foundation types used progressed over the years transitioning from low capacity timber piles to various new pile types as they became available; such as Raymond tapered piles, steel piles with concrete cores, precast piles and cast in place foundations. Currently, we are designing 4-foot diameter high capacity drilled shafts to support a new bridge over Bridge Creek to connect the two sites. Drilled shafts proved to be a very economical solution from both a design and construction point of view to carry the axial load of the bridge of approximately 400 tons per shaft. The paper will present a historical evolution of the progress of deep foundation types used at the Port Ivory Site; from low capacity timber piles to high capacity large diameter drilled shafts. The paper will also present changes and modifications of geotechnical design criteria over time that affects the type of deep foundations used. For instance, utilizing new seismic design criteria requires selecting a deep foundation system that withstands seismic loading conditions and overcomes the effects of liquefaction.

Jan 1, 2004

By Kozo Takeda, Arashi Shimano

"Dry Jet Mixing (DJM) technique is widely known as soil mitigation technique with small ground displacement during installation comparing with other techniques. Some projects involving sensitive structures, however, require smaller impact than in conventional technique. In order to reduce ground displacement during DJM installation, this paper introduces systematic mixing technique, RD-DJM (Reducing Displacement – Dry Jet Mixing). RD-DJM is characterized by injection nozzle on the rim of mixing blade and fin plate on mixing shaft. These devices contribute efficient collection of injected air toward mixing shaft and result in reduction of ground displacement. The authors demonstrate successful performance of RD-DJM indicating difference between conventional installation and RD-DJM technique.INTRODUCTIONThe Dry Jet Mixing (DJM) method is one of the most common techniques in Japanese deep soil mixing field and characterized mechanical mixing of powdery binder with in-situ ground (dry-mixing technique). It is widely believed that DJM Method has great advantages in less quantity of binder to achieve the desired strength and less waste generation during installation.DJM method can meet the required strength with less binder content than wet mixing. And volume of binder of dry mixing is absolutely less than wet-mixing injecting considerable volume of binder slurry. This means that dry mixing causes less ground displacement compared with wet mixing.As the medium for forced feeding of the binder, the DJM method uses compressed air, which is blown from the mixing blade nozzles to scatter the binder and then recovered through the periphery of the mixing shaft to the ground surface. Because the binder is injected outward from the injection orifice at the root of the mixing shaft, a part of the air may escape to untreated areas due to the blockage of air recovery path around the mixing shaft. Figure 1 illustrates possible escaped air and leakage around installation location."

Jan 1, 2015

By Alexandra Weidle, Seffen Leppla, Rolf Katzenbach, Matthias Seip

"A lot of different deep mixing systems have been developed in the last decades for a wide spectrum of applications, e.g. retaining and foundations systems, soil improvement, sealing of toxic substances or dyke strengthening. The paper will deal with special aspects of constructions with deep mixing systems for infrastructures like soil improvement for cyclic loadings and underpinnings in difficult soil conditions by presenting cases from engineering practice.1. DEEP DRY SOIL MIXING FOR SOIL IMPROVEMENT OF RAILWAY TRACKS IN VERY SOFT SOILS1.1 IntroductionRailway tracks are set into vibrations by train passing. In very soft soil this leads to long-term deformations which lead to speed limits, temporary closings and big maintenance efforts. The energy of the dynamic loading is transmitted into the soil by compression and shear waves and at the surface by rayleigh waves (Wood 1968). The expansion of the waves are influenced by•,thickness of the soft soil layer•,density of the soft soil layer•,stiffness of the soft soil layer•,saturation of the soft soil layer•,frequency of the dynamic loadingThe frequency of the dynamic loading depends on the train velocity and the distance of the wheels and wheel sets. If the frequency of the dynamic loading is in the range of the natural frequency of the soft soil layer the vibrations increase extremely (Lieberenz et al. 2003). As a result the long-term deformations will increase as well.To avoid these long-term deformations and the resulting operation restrictions and maintenance efforts an adequate soil improvement is necessary. For the optimization of the soil improvement field tests have been carried out.1.2 Experimental field testsThe field tests have been carried out at a 300 m long test track with five different setups, each 30 m long:•,test track TS 0: no soil improvement•,test track TS 1: soil improvement with single lime-cement-columns 5.9 m deep (Figure 1a)•,test track TS 2: soil improvement with single lime-cement-columns 5.9 m and 10.4 m deep (Figure 1b)"

Jan 1, 2015

By Mohamed Hassan, Matthias Seip, Steffen Leppla

In the east of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, a new high-rise building is planned directly next to the river Main. The high-rise building will have a height of about 75 m and will be founded on a Combined Pile-Raft Foundation (CPRF) in the tertiary marl. The new structure will be constructed next to important, sensitive traffic infrastructure. The foundation of the new high-rise building adjoins directly existing historic quay structures, which are more than 100 years old. For analysis of the stability and the serviceability of the heavily eccentric loaded foundation of the new high-rise building and the existing structures and for the investigation of the soil-structure interaction complex three dimensional, non-linear numerical simulations have been carried out. These numerical simulations take into account all geometric and material specific boundary conditions, including the history of the construction of the whole area. The paper introduces into a very complex construction project in which the investigation of the soil-structure interaction has an important role. The three-dimensional numerical simulations are explained and the results are shown.

May 1, 2022

By Takeru Fukaya, Tsutomu Namikawa

"The bending tensile stress occurs in the ground improvements when external forces are applied to the column and wall shaped ground improvements. Therefore, in the design of the column and wall shaped ground improvements, the tensile properties of the cement-treated soils become a predominant factor when the external forces induce bending moments. Then the tensile properties are required to design the ground improvements rationally.Three points bending tests are conducted to investigate the bending tensile properties of cement-treated soils in this study. Cement-treated soils mixed in a laboratory are used in the bending tests. The test specimens are prepared with the several mixing properties to study the relationship between the tensile properties and unconfined compressive strength qu. Bending tensile strength Tfb and fracture energy Gf of the cement-treated soils are evaluated from the load-deflection curves obtained from the bending tests. The experimental results indicate that Tfb and Gf are approximately proportional to qu.INTRODUCTIONThe ground improvement by deep mixing has been widely used for structure foundations, retaining walls and liquefaction mitigations. Recently column and wall shaped ground improvements by deep mixing method have been applied for economical reason. When external forces are applied to the column and wall shaped ground improvements, the bending tensile stress occurs in the ground improvements. Therefore, in the design of the column and wall shaped ground improvements, the tensile properties of the cement-treated soils become a predominant factor when the external forces induce bending moments. Then the tensile properties are required to design the ground improvements appropriately.Namikawa et al. (2007) conducted the finite element analysis to investigate the dynamic behavior of the lattice-shaped improved ground for liquefaction mitigation. In the analysis, an improved ground consisting of several grids in a line was chosen to study the basic behavior of the lattice-shaped improved ground. Fig. 1 shows a example of calculated tensile failure zones in the improved soil during the earthquake. Half of one section of the improved soil consisting of two grids in a line for the 8 m × 8 m grid was modeled in the case. In Fig. 1, the failure occurs at the bottom and upper corners of the improved soil grid. The analysis result indicates that the constitutive model which can appropriately evaluate tensile failure behavior of cement-treated soils is required to evaluate the performance of the lattice-shaped improved ground for liquefaction mitigation. In the analysis, the elasto-plastic model developed by Namikawa and Mihira (2007) was adopted for the cement-treated soil behavior. The elasto-plastic model can suitably describe the tensile failure behavior of cement-treated soils. In the elasto-plastic model, tensile fracture energy is adopted to determine a tensile softening relationship because it is difficult to directly measure the stress-strain relationship after the peak stress state in direct tension tests. However there is little experimental study on the tensile fracture energy of cement-treated soils."

Jan 1, 2015

By Jr. D'Angelo, Michael M. Blendy, Shawn Downey

"A grouted helical pile was used to support new buildings in the reconstruction of a large residential development. Foundation options were complicated by urban fill underlain with variable alluvial soil. A driven timber pile and grade beam system was recommended to support the new buildings. Other foundation options are also discussed. The grouted helical pile was quoted as an alternate and ultimately won the bid based on the economics and performance of the system. Data from 8 load tests was used to develop an empirical site specific relationship for determining pile capacity based on both installing torque and installation depth. Design to incorporate tolerance on installed pile location is presented. With the three phases completed, 554 residential dwelling units supported by 3645 grouted helical piles had been constructed covering 18 city blocks on the 44 acre site. IntroductionThe Philadelphia Housing Authority reconstructed the Tasker Homes housing complex located in southern Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, adjacent to the Schuylkill Expressway in the Grays Ferry area. Keating Building Corp. and Pennoni Associates were the general contractor and the structural engineer respectively. The original Tasker Homes development was constructed from 1940 to 1941 and consisted of 44 acres of primarily two and three-story residential brick buildings. These buildings were supported by a timber pile foundation system. The structural condition of the buildings supported on the timber piles was generally good in comparison to areas outside the buildings. These areas had settled possibly up to 2-feet in places due to the heterogeneous nature of the urban fill."

Jan 1, 2005

By Donald T. Robertson

This paper presents case histories of driven concrete pile damage detected with dynamic testing methods utilizing strain gages and accelerometers embedded in the pile at the prestressing yard during pile construction. Data from the embedded instrumentation is compared with data taken with external bolt on instrumentation and other test methods such as low strain testing on the same pile. In the most severe cases, the piles were extracted revealing and corroborating the embedded data collector results.

By Donald T. Robertson, Kurt Hecht, Michael K. Muchard

"This paper presents case histories of driven concrete pile damage detected with dynamic testing methods utilizing strain gages and accelerometers embedded in the pile at the prestressing yard during pile construction. Data from the embedded instrumentation is compared with data taken with external bolt on instrumentation and other test methods such as low strain testing on the same pile. In the most severe cases, the piles were extracted revealing and corroborating the embedded data collector results.INTRODUCTIONDynamic testing of driven pile foundations was originally developed in the late 1960’s and commercialized in the early 1970’s. While the methods of analyzing dynamic test data have improved with the advancement of computer technology, the test method and the sensors used to acquire the data have changed little. In 1998, under a research grant provided by the Florida Department of Transportation, (McVay et al, 2002) an Embedded Data Collector system (EDC) was developed. The collector utilizes two sensor packs, each consisting of one strain gage and one accelerometer, embedded near the pile toe and pile top. Utilizing the toe sensor pack, the system provides reliable real time pile end bearing capacity measurements. This end bearing capacity is combined with a Case Method Solution augmented with an automatic damping calculation to provide the overall pile capacity, pile skin friction capacity and pile end bearing capacity. Also, since the gages are embedded, they have the ability to track all changes from the casting yard (i.e. prestress), driving, and subsequent setup (freeze, relaxation, etc) at both the top and bottom of the pile."

Jan 1, 2017

By Boo Hyun Nam, Berk Turkel, Luis G. Arboleda-Monsalve, Jorge E. Orozco-Herrera

Construction of buildings, roads, and traffic activities generate vibrations to urban infrastructure. The vibrations produced by construction activities have an impact on the soil through which they are transmitted. These effects become much more significant in granular soils. The soil conditions in Florida consist mainly of sandy soil deposits and this makes driven piles a commonly used method. In the design of deep foundation installations, it is significant to consider the potential construction issues related to the driving process. This process generates vibrations in the surrounding soils and thus, its effects on nearby soils and structures must be considered. This paper presents a web-based survey conducted among geotechnical engineers in Florida to better understand the common practice and experience regarding the effects of pile driving on surrounding soils and structures. The perception of different practitioners in the state of Florida on ground deformations and damages to adjacent structures induced by deep foundation installations are investigated. The engineers who have experienced ground vibrations and deformations were asked to define the susceptible soil conditions and main triggering factors of large ground deformations induced by pile driving. Sandy soils with loose to medium relative densities were found to be the most susceptible soil condition to generate ground deformations. Conclusions are drawn regarding the importance of considering ground vibration monitoring during the design phase of deep foundations.

Oct 1, 2022

By Daniel Stevenson, Richard Guenther

"The preservation of historic buildings is not only essential to the understanding of our national heritage, but it is also environmentally responsible to adapt existing buildings to compatible new uses. With this perspective, the American Enterprise Institute began exploring options to expand the newly acquired Andrew Mellon Building, located at 1785 Massachusetts Ave. NW in Washington, D.C., without causing any harm to the Beaux Arts style limestone façade and its plaster interiors. The building is a National Historical Landmark, but its 72,000 sq ft (6,690 sq m) of usable floor space did not meet the needs of its new owner. The building perimeter is very near the property line, so horizontal expansion was not possible. Adding height to the building was not an option, as this would have altered the historic nature of the building exterior. The only feasible option that could provide the desired floor space was to add a new floor underneath the existing structure. By adding a level beneath the existing building, an additional 28,000 sq ft (2,601 sq m) of floor space could be produced.Berkel & Company Contractors was chosen as the deep foundation/shoring contractor tasked with ensuring that the existing structure was stable and remained undamaged during the excavation and construction of the new lower level. To accomplish this, Berkel provided a shoring system that would act as both excavation support and permanent deep foundation elements for the final structure.Preservation of the existing limestone façade and plaster interiors was critical to the success of the project, as additional foundation settlements could damage these irreplaceable building components. Project specifications, therefore, included very stringent limits for foundation settlements. The maximum allowable total settlement for all existing building walls and columns was ¼ in (6 mm) for the duration of the project."

Jan 1, 2017

By William M. Camp

Construction-induced earthborn vibrations have long been recognized as a potential problem with respect to the constructed environment and various vibration criteria are in use to prevent damage. A special case of construction vibration control is the protection of early-age or ?green? concrete. Unlike limits for damage prevention to building stock, there is no rational, widely accepted limit for protection of early-age concrete. Numerous criteria have been proposed or reported in the literature and the most relevant and rational proposals are summarized herein. These findings are applied to a case history involving both bored and driven piles. Vibration measurements were made during pile driving activities and the vibration magnitude was evaluated with respect to the exposure of freshly-placed and curing concrete to the earthborn vibrations. The maximum vibration magnitude at the applicable distances from pile driving was on the order of 0.3 inches per second. Based on the most persuasive literature, threshold values of 0.8 inches per second or even 1 to 2 inches per second for the protection of green concrete appear to be well-supported. Consequently, it was concluded that the pile driving activities and bored pile construction could proceed simultaneously.

Jan 1, 2010

By Aditi Sharma, Sumanta Haldar

Scouring of soil is the major concern forthe various hydraulic structures built in the flowing rivers since scouring impacts the bearing capacity of foundations. Hence, consideration of scouring in the design of foundations for hydraulic structures is crucial. Pile groups in bridges are subjected to combined vertical and horizontal loading due to self-weight, live loads, vehicular impacts, wind load, earth pressure, and current. Hence, an assessment of the combined bearing capacity of pile groups subjected to scour is essential for the safety of the structure. This paper aims to analyze the bearing capacity of pile group supporting the bridge under combined loading i.e., Vertical (V) and Horizontal (H) loading subjected to local scour. Three-dimensional finite element model (3D-FEM) of a 3 x 3 pile group embedded in homogeneous sandy soil is established in Abaqus (2018). Mohr-Coulomb plasticity model is used for the soil domain. The pile group is modelled as linear elastic. Finally, V-H yield envelopes are obtained with and without scour. The potential impact of different parameters, such as angle of attack, flow velocity, depth of flow, and different pile length-to-diameter ratios (L/D) and spacing-to-diameter ratios (S/D) of pile group on V-H yield envelopes is studied.

Sep 1, 2022

By Michael D. Justason

"In January 2009, long-time competitors, Anchor Shoring & Caissons Ltd. of Toronto and Bermingham Foundation Solutions of Hamilton, joined forces to tackle one of the Greater Toronto area’s largest deep foundation projects: the West Toronto Diamond Rail Grade Separation. The two companies formed the “West Diamond JV” and succeeded in winning the contract from the Canadian National Railways. This deep foundations work was the first and most significant part of the $300-million-plus rail grade separation project. A big part of the job turned out to be dealing with local government regulations and citizens’ concerns with noise and vibration.The project is approximately 10 km (6 mi) northwest of downtown Toronto in an area of mixed-zoning including light industrial, commercial and residential buildings. The area is commonly called the “The Junction,” because of the heavy rail- traffic. The “West Toronto Diamond” refers more specifically to the railway junction where the North-South tracks of Canadian National (CN) Railway meet at a level crossing with the East-West tracks of the Canadian Pacific (CP) Railway. The goal for this part of the project was to convert the West Toronto Diamond into a grade-separated junction by depressing the CN lines under the CP lines, thus allowing commuter rail carrier, called GO Transit, intercity carrier VIA Rail, and CN freight trains to pass through the new underpass.Dawn Tattle, president of Anchor Shoring & Caissons says, “not only is the site in a densely populated area adjacent to homes and businesses, the crews worked adjacent to active rail lines with numerous trains passing daily. During the 7-hour working day, approximately 60 trains passed through the site in very close proximity to working crews.” Safety was paramount. While trains were passing through the site, it was a railroad requirement that all equipment and men stop working. In addition, at those times, all personnel were required to stay 6 m (20 ft) from the tracks and were required to face the tracks. For the faster commuter trains, this work interruption could last as little as 2-3 minutes, while interruptions caused by the slower freight trains could last as long as 25 minutes. The most disruption to the site occurred during the morning commute between 7 to 9 a.m., so work did not really get underway until after that time. Once work finally commenced the race was on to finish as much as possible before the afternoon commute – hence the shortened work day. The amount of disruption caused by the trains was a big unknown faced by the JV going into the project, but crews adapted quickly to the very unusual work environment"

Jan 1, 2012

By K. Rainer Massarsch

"Part 2 of 2 (Continued from Summer 2004 edition) By K. Rainer Massarsch, Geo Engineering AB, Stockholm, SwedenVibrations, which are caused by the installation of piles in dry or permeable soils, can cause settlements. The magnitude of settlements depends on several factors, such as soil type and stratification, ground water conditions (degree of saturation), pile type and method of pile installation (driving energy). A method of settlement prediction due to construction-induced vibrations has been presented by Massarsch (2000). However, in many cases, an engineering assessment must be made at an early stage of a project. The following simplified procedure can be used to estimate settlements in a homogeneous sand deposit adjacent to a single pile, Fig. 5. This approach is based on extensive experience from soil compaction projects. It is assumed that intense densification due to pile penetration occurs within a zone corresponding to three pile diameters. The volume reduction resulting from the propagating vibrations will cause settlements in a cone with an inclination 2V:1H, with the tip at a depth of 6 pile diameters. Thus the settlement trough will extend a distance of 3D+L/2 from the centre of the pile, with maximum settlements at the centre of the pile. Maximum settlements, Smaxand average settlements, Smax can be estimated using the following relationship, choosing an appropriate a value of the soil compression factor, from Table 2.The driving energy depends on the method of pile installation, soil stratification and the pile type. The displacement volume of the installed pile has been neglected. The simplified method is applicable for estimating settlements at the perimeter of a pile group. It should be noted that settlements also occur outside the assumed cone, but these are often negligible. The effect of incompressible layers should be taken into account by adjusting the effective pile length."

Jan 1, 2004

By Abolfazl Eslami, Fatemeh Rostami, Sara Heidarie Golafzani, Mohammad Arabameri

Collapsible loess is classified as problematic soil found in most continents. The loess immediately collapses under stresses induced by axial compressive loading or the soil weight when exposed to moisture. In Iran, vast areas of the Golestan province are covered with aeolian loess deposits. This paper investigates whether the simultaneous effect of inundation and pre-loading in helical pile installation are operative and effective in improvement of Golestan loess. The effect of installation conditions on loess collapsibility is studied via two main approaches, i.e., field investigations and physical modelling. The experimental studies include installation of eight single helix piles in the Amirkabir University of Technology Frustum Confining Vessel, i.e., FCV-AUT. Also, four single helix piles with embedment depth of 3 m and diameter of 250 mm were installed in Golestan province and full-scale pile static loading tests were performed. The results indicated that the simultaneous application of crowd loading and water pressure during installation of helical piles results in better soil shear strength parameters. Moreover, high crowd stresses or low crowd stresses accompanied by water pressure during pile installation brings about similar load-displacement behavior of model piles installed in FCV-AUT and full-scale helical piles.

Oct 1, 2022

By Todd W. Armstrong, Michael D. Reader

"INTRODUCTIONThe Playa Vista Development is the largest urban infill development in the history of the United States. Overall, it encompasses about 1100 acres in the City of Los Angeles and is situated north of Los Angeles International Airport near the Pacific Ocean. The development taking place on the project consists primarily of high-density residential condominiums with 1 to 2 levels of subterranean parking . The geotechnical conditions are typified by high groundwater, soft clays, and liquefaction, in addition to environmental issues such as methane.Due to a combination of the geotechnical factors and noise restrictions, both driven and drilled piles were not feasible once the initial phase of the project was occupied. As a result, the project developer undertook a testing program that consisted of the installation and load testing of 9 piles in order to obtain City of Los Angeles acceptance of a pile installation system that met the site constraints. The testing program was divided between two separate contractors operating on sites set on opposite sides on the street (Figure 1 ). Contractors working in Test Areas A & B employed the ""dry dip"" and ""wet dip"" methods of auger pressure grouted displacement (APGD) pile installation, respectively.This paper summarizes the extraordinary program undertaken to install, document, test, and examine auger pressure grouted displacement piles at this site. The program ultimately resulted in City acceptance of auger pressure grouted displacement piles, a historically difficult challenge given the City's resistance of acceptance of ""new"" technologies.A summary of elements included in the test program are: (1) quality control; (2) load testing; (3) long-term testing; (4) non-destructive testing; and (5) pile exhumation."

Jan 1, 2005

By H. Mori

This paper describes a new borehole loading test using a self-boring instrument appropriate for dense sandy soils and stiff clayey soils. The results of loading tests for the bearing strata of deep foundations according to this method are also presented. This method has been applied to the study on the settlement behavior of heavy foundations resting on dense sand, stiff clay or soft rock in Japan.

Jan 1, 2010

By J. P. Powers

Methods for dewatering and the control of ground water for construction and mining are discussed, including open pumping; predrainage with deep wells, wellpoints or other systems; cutoff or exclusion of water by steel sheet piling, slurry concrete walls and slurry trenching, grouting, ground freezing, compressed air, slurry shields and earth pressure balance shields. Criteria are given for the selection among the methods for a given project. Unwanted side effects of dewatering are listed, with procedures for evaluating and avoiding them, by cutoff or artificial recharge.

Jan 1, 2010

By C. N. Baker

The design and construction of drilled piers through water bearing and caving soil conditions are discussed. The need for close cooperation between the design engineer and contractor in both the design and construction stage is outlined. Four case histories illustrating the design and construction considerations for four different problem soil and ground water profiles are presented, including the field testing and observation procedures that were utilized to confirm that the design inten. was accomplished. Requirements advisable when placing concrete under water in a cased environment and when placing concrete under slurry in an uncased environment are described.

Jan 1, 2010

By V. T. Ganpule

The effect of Sulphate and Chloride is well understood by the engineers. Most of the codes stipulate permissible limits for sulphate and chloride content in groundwater. Relatively few reference are available about the effect of organic acids on pile concrete. While executing a pile foundation work around Bombay, the authors came across the peculiar phenomenon. The routine testing of water has indicated that water is non-aggressive; however, on exposing the piles, the piles were found to be highly detonated. The testing of water on the guidelines followed by engineers associated with flow through pipes revealed that water is corrosive as per the Ryznar index concept. The present papers discussess the significance of Ryznar index in under water concreting.

Jan 1, 1996