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By Clyde Baker

Drilled shafts for many situations offer an economical alternative to driven piles. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has spent considerable time and money in research and developing design and construction guidelines for drilled shafts. However, the full potential of the technology may not be realized because of the uncertainty of the effects of construction on the actual service behavior and the lack of either reliable quality control tests to check for or evaluate defects, or inexpensive load test procedures. Static load testing is very expensive and it is not feasible to load test each shaft on a project. Therefore, other means are necessary to confirm or evaluate the integrity of the completed drilled shaft or to determine the capacity of the completed shaft.

Jan 1, 1989

By Geoffrey Birch

A skilled and efficient workforce is a pre-requisite for the success of modern construction companies. The drive for improved performance, innovation and best value must be matched by the enhanced skills of the construction personnel. Training has been accepted as one of the essential cost effective elements to achieve these goals. The foundation industry demands particular specialist skills and requires focused training for its dedicated operatives. The introduction and development of specific training qualifications for the foundation sector is providing significant benefits.

Jan 1, 2000

By Lok M. Sharma, Deep K. Khatri, Bradfield. Brett

"A shored enclosure was required to access a control structure upstream below the dam of a deep lake. The shoring involves the interaction of the structure, soil, and water and the loads imposed include the hydrostatic forces of the water, soil pressures as well as dynamic forces due to currents and waves. Deep excavation support systems have traditionally been designed using classical methods that involve direct computations of earth pressures. However, traditional analysis does not take into account soil-structure interaction. Numerical modelling offers better means to analyze soil-structure interaction. This paper presents a 2D finite element (2D-FE) analysis of a deep excavation support structure that was required to remove and replace a control structure at the upstream toe of a dam. The sheet-piling shoring was designed to withstand the lateral pressures from 14 m deep free water and 5.5 m deep excavation below the free water to reach the required excavation level to replace the gate structure. Elastic-plastic analyses were performed to predict the stresses and deformations of the complicated shoring structure and excavation bottom. The soil parameters, procedures used to develop the 2D-FE model, and the results are discussed in this paper. The shoring system is currently under construction.INTRODUCTIONA deep shoring system enclosure is required to keep out water and soil and to provide a support for unbalanced loadings due to dewatering and/or, excavation in order to permit construction of the permanent structures in the dry. A braced shoring system consists of a single wall sheet piling which is driven into the ground to form a “box” around the excavation site and is braced on the inside. After bracing the sheet piling, seal concrete is placed into the bottom to prevent water from seeping into the open excavation from underneath the sheet piling, and the water is pumped out to provide the dry work area. The braced shoring involves the interaction of the structure, soil, and water and the loads imposed include the hydrostatic forces of the water, soil pressures as well as dynamic forces due to currents and waves. Deep excavation support systems have traditionally been designed using classical methods that involve direct computations of earth pressures, (active, passive, or apparent pressures). There have been some uncertainties regarding the actual distribution of earth pressures due to influence of the support wall flexibility, as these traditional methods do not take into account soil-structure interaction. Numerical modelling offers better means to analyze soilstructure interaction."

Jan 1, 2017

By J. O. Osterberg

The realities of foundation enginering are that the work never proceeds exactly as expected. The various reasons, exploration, design, construction, and legal are discussed. Case histories are presented with an analysis of why the projects did not turn out as expected and how the difficulties might have been avoided.

Jan 1, 2010

By A. Eslami

In recent development of piled raft design, the contribution of both raft and piles to tolerate the loads is taken into account, depending on the stiffness and contributions of involved elements i.e.; piles, raft and surrounding soil. The piles are usually required not to ensure the overall stability of the foundation but to act as settlement reducers. One alternative method of foundation design is therefore to introduce piles purely as a means of improving or enhancing the stiffness of the base soil by structurally disconnecting the piles from the raft. In this paper, two and three dimensional finite element analysis of disconnected pile-raft systems are performed on three case studies including a 12-storey residential building in Iran, a 39-storey twin tower in Indonesia, and the 256m height of Messeturm tower in Frankfurt, Germany. The analysis include different geometrical parameters, e.g., pile spacing and embedment length, arrangement and raft thickness for foundation system to obtain the optimized design functions and to clarify the role of each parameter and method of analysis. The parametric study results and comparison to a few field measurements indicate that by concentrating the piles in the central area of the raft foundation leads to the optimum design with the minimum total length of piles. This achievement can be considered as a criterion for project cost efficiency. On the other hand, disconnected piled-raft systems can significantly reduce the settlements and raft internal bending moments. Finally, the comparison indicates that simple and faster 2D analysis has almost the identical results to 3D analysis which is complicated and time consuming.

Jan 1, 2008

By Tracy Brettmann

In recent years the Augered Cast-In-Place (ACIP) Pile industry has seen a substantial increase in the quality control options available to Contractors, Engineers, and Owners. Quality control methods range from the simple, manual techniques that have been used for years to new computerized installation monitoring equipment and nondestructive testing methods. Our ability to monitor and test ACIP piles has grown to such a degree that the industry is struggling to determine how much quality control is enough. This paper reviews the many options available and describes the pros and cons of each. The various nondestructive testing methods, in particular, have been difficult to apply reliably due to misapplications of methods and misinterpretation of the results. ACIP piles have unique properties that require the various nondestructive testing methods available be considered very carefully in determining the method most appropriate for a particular use. Some nondestructive testing methods, as well as automated monitoring equipment, potentially can be applied effectively to increase the level of quality control for ACIP piles. The experience gained on real projects using these new methods, in conjunction with the old procedures, provides valuable information for future applications.

Jan 1, 2000

By Howard Roscoe

Linking Ashford International Station to the new Channel Tunnel Rail Link required over 5000 rotary bored and CFA (continuous flight auger) piles to form tunnel walls and viaduct foundations and to support overbridges and trackside barriers.. Much of the work was carried out close to the existing railway infrastructure. Plunged columns were used to maintain traffic flows over the tunnel site during construction. The results of an extensive programme of vertical and lateral load tests on bored and CFA piles in heavily overconsolidated Weald Clay are compared to illustrate the relative importance of stress relief and of prolonged exposure to bentonite. The completion on schedule of this major piling and ground engineering contract (value £30 million) demonstrates that collaborative working in partnership produced cost effective solutions to a series of challenging technical and logistical problems.

Jan 1, 2002

By D. Arentsen

Changing environmental laws, new operating requirements and the increasing accuracy with which the bearing capacity of driven piles can be calculated have all led to the development of hydraulic piling hammers, some very primitive, others very advanced. Users find it difficult to decide which model is the most suitable, because the specifications are neither uniform nor unamiguous. There are no standard specifications and, moreover, the majority of hammers are suitable only for a limited range of applications. For the user, however, it is important to choose a hammer which will meet future as well as current requirements and will not quickly become obsolete or be unsuitable for a particular job.

Jan 1, 1987

By Jose L. Garcia

The following document aims to cover all issues concerning the three main methods employed for the in-situ survey of concrete pile integrity. Within it are described both sonic coring and low-strain tests and the frequency and time domain analysis of their results, which are the most advanced techniques currently in use in Spain. The survey techniques described were developed and began worldwide deployment in the 1960s, but it was not until the 1980s that they saw large scale implementation in Spain, largely thanks to the miniaturisation of electronics and computer equipment that made them easier to use on-site. Sonic coring, echo and frequency-response testing or mechanical impedance tests are spreading further every day. However, there appears to be a need for standardisation of the testing methods, as well as their implementation, interpretation and the presentation of results. The goal of these Spanish recommendations is to serve as a guideline for test standards and to provide examples for a correct and commonly agreed interpretation of test results, as well as settling any differences in the evaluation of defects detected in foundation works.

Jan 1, 2006

By Rudolph P. Frizzi

This paper presents different deep foundation systems and associated settlement records for high-rise building projects in the coastal areas of southeastern Florida. An introduction to the sedimentary soil and soft rock geology in coastal areas of southeast Florida is presented, and the deep foundation systems utilized include: piles of varying length, pile supported mat, preload and short piles, and drilled shafts. The implementation and associated settlement monitoring data of the different deep foundation systems are described through case histories involving 20 to 66-story buildings. In addition, the deep foundation systems and settlement monitoring results for twenty-one additional high-rise building projects in the coastal areas of southeastern Florida are presented.

Jan 1, 2003

By G. Noce

The ever more present necessity for greater precision in foundation structures on vertical piles subject to horizontal forces applied to the heads, in the light of of the latest knowledge about the elastic-plastic behaviour of the soil has led to the use of numerical calculation for the formulation of a general resolution method for the problem. The calculation method that will be set out, applicable to piles with inertia moments variable discreetly along their axes is especially useful when studying steel structures for medium and large tonnage vessels for which the metal piles are often constructed for the assembly of section of equal external diameter but different thickness and therefore different inertia moments. Two examples are given of constructions whose foundations have been projected with these calculation tools, one in the railway sector (foundation pile for the river Nera viaduct - Italy) important for the limitation of horizontal relative deck displacement, the other maritime (Dolphins of the petroleum pier of the port of Bandar Abbas - Iran).

Jan 1, 1989

By Claudio Olalla

This paper relates to the foundation of a steel structure located at the San Martin de la Vega (Madrid) amusement park. The structure has more than 100 supports with various loading conditions, including important horizontal and uplift forces. Additionally, the settlement tolerances are very strict. A massive gypsum formation with interbedded clay layers and random solution great voids at various levels constitute the soil. The foundation design has been conditioned large enough these difficulties (load conditions and soil problems). The piling machine used was powerful to drill through the soft rock (UCS up to 11Mpa). The integrity of each pile had to be guaranteed by continuous recording of drilling and concrete pouring parameters. In order to fulfil all those conditions, a STARSOL type-piling rig was used. More than 4500 meters of piles were performed. The diameters of the piles were 450 and 550-mm and their depths varies from 6 to 23 meters. All piles were reinforced over their full length.

Jan 1, 2002

By Philip Bonanno

The first major project in Boston's new access to Logan Airport was an Immersed Tube Tunnel which extended 3,600 ft. from South Boston to East Boston across Boston Harbor. Twelve tube sections, 300 ft. long x 80 ft. wide x 40 ft. high, were lowered into an excavated trench which was then backfilled. The depth of the trench at mid-channel was approximately 100 ft. below mean high tide. At the East Boston end the tube terminated close to the present shoreline. At the South Boston end the tube terminated approximately 600 ft. inland from the shore line where a ventilation building was required. The depth to subgrade from existing ground at the ventilation structure was approximately 85 ft. The soil profile at this location consisted of 50 ft. of miscellaneous rubble fill, 25 ft. of Boston blue clay, and 10 ft. of glacial till. A small amount of weathered argellite existed at the north end of the structure. Part of the Morrison Knudsen, Interbeton, J.F. White, Joint Venture contract to construct the Immersed Tube Tunnel (ITT) was the construction of a cofferdam at the tube/ventilation building interface. The ventilation building was to be built as part of another contract. The construction of the cofferdam and the excavation to the building subgrade was the responsibility of J.F. White Contracting Company.

Jan 1, 1994

By J. J. Beresford

The primary function of a support slurry is to provide stability during excavation. Today foundation structures can be designed around the additional friction afforded by the absence of the filter cake attributable to the use of polymeric fluids as support slurries. These fluids use pseudoplastic fluid viscosity to advantage over the fragile thixotropic gel structures of bentonite. Many of today's polymeric fluids are environmentally acceptable for disposal directly to municipal sewers.

Jan 1, 1989

By Gregory A. Stephan

A case history of design, prediction, probe pile driving, and construction of a pile foundation for Building 3 of Waterside at Bay Beach Condominiums located in Fort Myers Beach, southwest Florida, is presented. Site geometry constraints, the presence of a 12.0 ft (3.6 m) deep lake occupying the southern one-third portion of the proposed building footprint, and marginal subsoils provided specific challenges for design and construction of the foundation. The subsoil conditions were explored by performing Standard Penetration Test (SPT) borings and a Piezocone Penetration Test (PCPT) Sounding to depths of 100 ft (30.5 m) within the building footprint. Additionally, borings were performed to envelope the building. Deep foundation alternatives included driven concrete, monotube, and steel pipe pile as well as drilled shaft. Following an evaluation of high structural loads, site-specific constraints, foundation test data from buildings 1 and 2, and preference expressed by the project owner, a pre-cast prestressed concrete (PPC) pile-supported foundation system was selected as an economical and effective foundation approach. Use of an augered cast-in-place (ACIP) pile foundation system was precluded by the project structural engineer. This paper deals with the design aspects and methodologies utilized in choosing and economizing the foundation system. The building foundation was designed for an allowable pile capacity of 40 tons (353 kN) in compression, 1.5 tons (12 kN) in lateral capacity for a deflection of 0.25-in (0.64 cm) and 15 tons (133 kN) in uplift capacity. For the single story extended garage structure, a pile capacity of 27 tons (238 kN) was indicated in compression. As part of the design process, an extensive probe pile driving program was carried out in order to evaluate the pile driving equipment, determine and verify pile capacities, and optimize the production pile lengths. A total of 33, 14-in (356 mm) square, PPC concrete piles were driven within the entire building limits, and dynamically load tested utilizing Pile Driving Analyzer (PDA) as part of the probe pile driving program. Utilization of PDA during probe pile driving helped in predicting pile set-up (i.e., increase in pile resistance with time) as well as reducing the pile lengths by as much as 20 percent. It resulted in variable pile lengths during the production phase. This information was effectively utilized as part of the overall quality control program to install a total of 559 PPC piles (including 33 probe piles) within the Building 3 footprint, including the reclaimed lake area, to depths ranging from 45 to 58 ft (14 to 18 m) below existing ground elevation as part of the foundation support system. Prior to installation of probe or production piles, a termination criterion was established using 1-dimensional wave equation analyses in addition to the design pile embedment requirement. The predicted pile capacities compared reasonably well with the capacities from the CAPWAP analyses for probe piles. This engineered, monitored and tested foundation solution provided a cost effective and satisfactory basis for completion and approval of the foundation work for the building resulted in cost savings over other foundation alternatives for the owner. The building has since been occupied and a recent reconnaissance has indicated that the building foundations are performing satisfactorily.

Jan 1, 2003

By Richard D. Short

The Pseudo Static Pile Load Test, PLT, is a rapid method for determining pile capacity. Pile design is usually based on theoretical calculations of ultimate load capacity using soil data from a field investigation. The pile capacity is confirmed during construction by analysis of blow counts using dynamic formulae, dynamic pile monitoring, and load testing. Load testing is the most direct and reliable method of determining the actual capacity of a pile. Conventional load testing procedures, however, are time consuming and expensive. A typical load test requires installation of two to four reaction piles, construction of a high-capacity steel test frame, hydraulic jacks, and dial gauges, and will typically take one to three days per pile. Costs for load tests range from $10,000 to $20,000 per test. The Pile Load Test machine features a 25-tonne weight mounted on a mobile test frame. PLT load tests can be performed in a matter of minutes once the equipment has been mobilized to the site. This paper examines three test sites where the PLT test method was used and compares the results to conventional load test results and theoretical capacity calculations.

Jan 1, 2000

By Alan J. Lutenegger

Some years ago, a method was developed to incorporate a grout column around square-shaft helical screw-piles and anchors to increase shaft buckling resistance under compression loading. An additional benefit of this grouted shaft is to increase the load capacity in both compression and tension, depending on the geometry of the lead helical section and the soil conditions. Because of the unique construction procedure, the contribution of the shaft to the total capacity has largely been unknown. The behavior of grouted shaft helical anchors in clay was investigated by performing full-scale axial uplift (tension) load tests on a series of anchors installed at the University of Massachusetts Geotechnical Test Site. In order to isolate the contribution of the grouted shaft to the total load capacity, anchors were installed with a wooden dowel connection between the lead helical section and extension sections on three of the four anchors so that only the shaft resistance would be measured during the load tests. The grouted shafts ranged in length from 10 to 30 ft (3 to 9 m). Initial tests were performed approximately 5½ months after installation. Nearly four years after the initial tests were performed, the tests were repeated to evaluate any significant change in capacity with time and/or repeat testing (preshearing). The soil conditions at the site are presented along with the load-displacement curves for both the initial and repeat teats and a discussion of the analysis of the results. Repeat load tests showed an increase in capacity from the initial testing, however the percent increase was not the same for all depths. The results demonstrate that considerable shaft resistance can be developed in clays from the grouted shafts as might be expected. Depending on the L/D ratio of the shaft and the contribution of the lead helical section, at working loads the shaft capacity can dominate the behavior.

Jan 1, 2011

By Lars Richter, Franz-Werner Gerressen

"The Eglinton Crosstown Line was conceived as the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, a partially underground light rail line, announced in 2007 as part of the Transit City plan, which included the implementation of six other light rail lines across Toronto.There were 43 stops planned for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, 13 of which would be underground . For those underground stations a lot of specialty foundation works needed to be carried out. King piles, soldier piles with lagging and secant piles were mainly required fulfilling the tasks of installing the retaining wall system.The paper will focus on the original design and alternative solutions, discussing the benefits and limits of these. It will also explain the installation process in general as well as some specific features related to specific site conditions, e.g. limits in installation depth, soil characteristics etc. The required equipment will be explained showing the benefits and limits.INTRODUCTIONThe Eglinton Crosstown project is a 19-kilometre LRT line that will bring much needed relief to the transit woes of Torontonians. Traversing the city in an east-west slice across the midtown artery of Eglinton Avenue, the Crosstown rail line involves a combination of 15 underground stations and 10 atgrade surface stops. It is one of the largest transit infrastructure projects under way in North America today. Aecon has joined partners ACS Infrastructure Canada, Ellis Don, and SNC-Lavalin to form Crosslinx Transit Solutions (Crosslinx).As with many of today’s mega public transportation projects, the Crosstown LRT follows the Public- Private Partnership (P3) model. Aecon is an equal partner in the $5.3-billion Crosslinx consortium to develop the Eglinton Crosstown LRT project in Toronto. Upon the LRT's completion in 2021, Metrolinx, the region’s transit authority and also the project client/owner, will turn to the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to operate it. The impact of this highly anticipated LRT line on commuters in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is expected to be dramatic and immediate once the first train leaves the station five years from now. In fact, Metrolinx is estimating that within its first 10 years of service, the Crosstown line will be carrying 5,500 passengers per hour (in peak direction) and making 100 million passenger trips annually."

Jan 1, 2017

By Clyde N. Baker

Foundations for the Sohio Corporate Headquarters in downtown Cleveland have column loads of 11,400 kips, which increase to 15,000 kips with wind loading. An extensive exploratory program was conducted and comprehensive studies made to select the economically dependable support for the 46-story structure. A test on bond or socket friction for the caissons has usable values.

Jan 1, 1984

By Özgür Bezgin

This paper presents observations on the installation of drilled shafts from two construction projects and an academic study with experimental and analytical parts. The construction projects involved the use of pressurized drilling methods. The experimental part of the academic study involved the use of the auger drilling method. The analytical part of the academic study investigated the effect of drilling methods on the soil-structure interaction and the behavior of drilled shafts under lateral loads. The concept of ?free-length? is introduced for the lateral load design of pressure-drilled shafts that are thought to be fully embedded within a soil media. The academic part of the study presented herein was conducted in Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.

Jan 1, 2009