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By Han Jie

The results of full scale plate load tests on stone columns on soft clay in coastal areas are presented in this paper. Four load tests were made, two of which were performed on the ground treated with stone columns, one on an isolated stone column and the last one on the untreated ground. For a given stress range, the settlement of the rigid plate, the stress concentration factor, and the excess pore water pressure were measured. It is found that the distribution of vertical stress beneath the rigid plate supported by the composite ground of stone columns is very different in shape from the one by the untreated ground, that the stress concentration factor has a relation with the stress level and time, that the stone columns increase the bearing capacity up to by 2 times, and that the ground stabilized by stone columns is of great advantage to keep the foundation stable.

Jan 1, 1991

By Filippo Maria Leoni, Wesley Schmutzler, Matteo Bertoni

"Deep Mixing Method (DMM) for the Rio Puerto Nuevo Project (Project) in San Juan was chosen by the Corps of Engineers to improve the soils adjacent to a 92 inch ID forced sewer main relocation and to improve the soils for the base of a new drainage channel. The soils to be improved consisted of sandy fill, soft clays, organics and stiff, plastic clays. A pre-construction soil investigation campaign, followed by a Bench Scale Mixing Programme and a Full Scale Field Test were performed during the pre-construction stage to assess soil properties, select binder type and dosage, and disclose the most suitable combination of injection parameters to improve the different soil layers. Production started at the end of August 2012 and was completed in October 2013; over 3,000 DMM elements were installed to a maximum depth of 57 ft below ground for a total gross volume of approximately 125,000 cubic yard. Each element consisted of two 5.5 ft diameter overlapping columns installed simultaneously, and their layout was such to meet the 100% Area Replacement Ratio required by the design. The ground improvement was successfully completed despite some difficulties due to a considerable amount of obstructions. Wet grab sampling and UCS testing of the retrieved specimens were designed as the main QC/QA method for the verification of the quality of the ground improvement. Upon completion of production, approximately 3,000 specimens were cast. The contract also required continuous coring of at least 12 randomly selected DMM elements and the testing of 8 cored specimens per bore for strength assessment. This paper will illustrate means and methods used in the field to construct the designed ground improvement and the results of the QC/QA program, with a focus on the differences between wet grab and coring sampling methods.INTRODUCTIONThe Rio Puerto Nuevo project involved the stabilization of a major drainage channel using the Deep Mixing Method (DMM), and the relocation of a 92 inch ID forced main sanitary sewer outfall. Previously, in 2004, a 40 x 16 x 2,000 ft. box culvert was installed under a different contract to convey runoff waters to the ocean.However, the connection between this culvert and the upstream network of channels was not constructed due to the presence of the forced main sewer pipe. In order for the drainage system to be completed and function properly, the 92 inch ID forced main needed to be lowered about 20 ft to allow for proper drainage.DMM was chosen by the US Army Corps of Engineers to stabilize the drainage channel as well as improve the soil under the relocated sewer main. The DMM was arranged in different zones (A through E) with variable top and bottom design elevations as can be seen in the typical cross section for Zone A (deeper and with a higher strength requirement) and Zone B as an example (Figure 1)."

Jan 1, 2015

By Chu E. Ho, Paul Napoli

This paper presents the performance of nineteen open-ended steel pipe piles driven through highly variable overburden soils into glacial till and schist bedrock. The piles were 16 inches in diameter and 0.656 inches thick, with yield strength of 50 ksi. The piles were designed for a service capacity of 250 kips and were driven to achieve an ultimate geotechnical capacity of at least 500 kips. Due to the large variation in the ground conditions, installed pile lengths ranged from 25 to 66 feet. Some piles were driven to refusal on the bedrock while others were terminated at final driving resistance of 2 to 7 blows/in. Two piles were suspected to be plugged during driving while others did not. Each pile was instrumented with strain gages and accelerometers near the pile top, and observed using a Pile Driving Analyzer (PDA) to provide preliminary guidance on pile capacity achieved at end of initial drive (EOID). The influence of plugged and unplugged pile toe conditions on the interpretation of pile capacity was investigated using Case Pile Wave Analysis Program (CAPWAP). Characteristics of driving energy, compressive and tensile stresses developed in the steel pipe piles, and the resulting pile deformation behavior are discussed. INTRODUCTION The Hunters Point South redevelopment in Long Island City, Queens is one of New York City’s major efforts to transform former manufacturing zones into mixed developments for the middle-income community. The site is located along the eastern shoreline of the East River and Newtown Creek. The development included low to high-rise residential buildings, a public school and retail structures. Open spaces were created along the East River and Newtown Creek waterfronts in the form of a continuous park providing for recreational and community related activities. Waterfront structures included small park buildings, walkways and viewing platforms with the shoreline protected by revetments as part of the City’s flood mitigation strategy. The project was implemented in two phases, with completion of construction for Phase 1 in 2013 and Phase 2 in 2019. Based on available historical information, extensive reclamation took place between 1855 and 1898. After 1951, changes to the shoreline were made along the East River, including the removal of reclaimed land along the northern portion of the project site to allow for docking facilities. By 1977, these facilities had been demolished and backfilled to form the current shoreline configuration. The present site was temporarily used as a parking lot with stockpiles of fill mixed with construction demolition rubble, rip-rap and boulders of varying heights across the site. The existing ground surface varied significantly up to approximately 25 feet difference in elevation. The stockpiles were removed and the site was re-graded during final development of the project. This paper discusses the foundation design challenges due to the loose overburden soils and potential obstructions within the fill material, in particular, the issues relating to installation of open-ended steel pipe piles through the ground conditions encountered on site.

Jan 1, 2019

By Sushant Upadhyaya, Deniz Karadeniz, Ahmed Mohamed

Soil setup analysis provides opportunities for efficiencies in pile foundation design and installation. Soil setup gain with time was evaluated as part of the foundation design and installation for twelve bridges along the Interstate 64 corridor between York County and Newport News in Virginia. The substructure elements of the bridges consist of driven precast prestressed concrete piles or H-piles. This case study describes lessons learned to understand the soil setup phenomenon during the installation of the piles in coastal plain. We were able to make expedited decisions during construction by analyzing previously performed pile dynamic analyzer (PDA) test results within the project alignment. Data evaluation included analyses of PDA data obtained from initial driving and restrike after a few hours to 5 weeks. The test data showed pile resistance increase up to twice in most cases and as high as four times in some cases. Foundation design and acceptance based on soil setup can provide opportunities for cost savings and advanced scheduling during construction.

By Michael A. McNicholas

"Deep foundations utilize the varying soil conditions to provide the most cost-effective or practical scope for a given jobsite. Once the scope has been determined and the engineering applied, the element can be installed and tested to determine if it is suitable. QA/QC programs are vital for the assurance that the element designed by the engineer has not only been properly constructed but that the design assumptions are confirmed. The two deep foundation elements referenced are drilled displacement piles (DDP) and micropiles. Each of these elements allows for large loads to be distributed deep into the subsurface geology. Having the technology and ability to monitor the tests in real-time can be beneficial to a contractor in determining if the design is adequate or if adjustments need to be made on future piles. The proper QA/QC guidelines for installation and monitoring need to be in place to ensure that an accurate interpretation can be made on the pile. This paper discusses the typical testing and the positive results that the author has encountered using the latest advances in strain analysis.KEY TERMSDrilled Displacement Piles:A deep foundation system that has the ability to shed load into the geology through shaft resistance as well as tip resistance, similar to drilled shafts. This pile element is unique in that it has a consistent pile section and thus a consistent modulus of elasticity.Micropile:A deep foundation system used in applications where the foundation lies over material not suitable for a spread footing and the ideal soil stratum is deep below the foundation. Micropiles will have two different cross-sections consisting of a cased section and an uncased section. For this reason, this pile type requires additional analysis when computing stress-strain relationships.Geokon Strain Gauges:Instrumentation such as Models 4911A-4911 Vibrating Wire Strain Gauges ( known as Sister Bars) are designed to be embedded in grout and calculate loads based on the change on grout strain over a period of time.Stress:A pile element is under a compression (axial loading) load when a force acts along its axis and is normal to the plane of the section. The corresponding stress the pile is experiencing is described as a normal stress. The stress is obtained by dividing the magnitude of the load distributed over the cross-section by the area of the pile cross-section, as shown in Eq. 1."

Jan 1, 2017

By Sastry Putcha, Santosh Mummaneni, Swamy Avasarala, Vamshi Vemula

"This paper presents the results from a case study on the comparison of two strain acquisition instrumentation technologies, Geokon rebar strainmeters and Embedded Data Collectors (EDC) for the DC Water Main Pump Station project, in Washington D.C. These two instrumentation systems were installed by AVER in a single 18-inch (0.45 m) diameter augercast pile (with one-1.25 inch (3.175 cm) dywidag bar) at critical locations to determine the load transfer mechanism and establish a comparison between strain/load measured with these two systems along the pile. A quick static load test was performed on the test pile as per ASTM D1143 standard.Prior to the installation of the pile, a 24-inch (0.6 m) diameter outer casing was installed to the proposed cutoff elevation of -22.5 feet (-6.85 m) to discount the frictional resitance within the upper overburden zone. The pile was then drilled through the outer casing to the tip elevation of -65.02 feet (-19.8 m) with inner casing within the overburden zone. Strainmeters along with EDC were installed on dywidag bar at various locations and then wet set into the concrete following auger retrieval. The loads measured with EDC and Geokon sensors were within 15% percent of each other.PROJECT BACKGROUNDProject Background & Requirements:Like any other foundation piles, augercast piles are extensively used in the public and private sector structures in the United States for many years. It is a common practice to perform static compression (ASTM D1143), tension (ASTM D3689), and lateral load tests (ASTM D3966) depending on the project requirements. In recent years, embedded strain sensors, manufactured by Smart Structures, USA has gained prominence for its use to collect both static and dynamic measurements for driven piles. In addition, AVER has successfully used EDC for collecting long term static measurements for an abutment drilled shafts for I-95 Hotlanes project in Virginia, USA.Geokon sisterbar strain gages are widely used in the foundation industry to monitor the load transfer mechanism within pile foundations throughout the world. As the Geokon strainmeters are vibrating wire and are welded to a sister bar, there is often a debate within the engineering community with regards to what modulus to use when converting measured strains to loads. EDC sensors, unlike Geokon strain gages are embedded directly into the concrete and therefore do not have the same concern."

Jan 1, 1900

By Chandramohan P. V., Ravi Kishore

"An underground reservoir was to be constructed at Doha in Qatar. Simsima lime stone is present at the bottom. When the reservoir is empty, there will be uplift at the bottom but this will change to downward load when it is full. The rock at the bottom had high bearing capacity to resist downward load. But uplift had to be resisted by piles or anchors. The reservoir has a size of 120mx80m. Shrinkage and creep of concrete coupled with thermal contraction imposed a horizontal movement of 26mm on the extreme piles. So, piles have to accommodate this as well. This unique situation needed a unique solution. The solution was to provide piles with flexible high tensile strands to take tension. An annular space near the head of the pile would facilitate horizontal movement as well. Compression load was directly passed on to the raft bearing on rock.INTRODUCTIONAn underground reservoir for storage of drinking water was to be constructed at Doha, Qatar. The reservoir was proposed to have a plan size of 120m x 80m. Clear height inside the reservoir was proposed as 17.2m, from the bottom of roof to the top of bottom raft. Overall height of the reservoir at the outlet from the top of the roof to the bottom of raft was to be 21.2m. For the sake of inspection and in order to prevent pollution from the surroundings a gallery was planned around the reservoir. This could accommodate pipelines as well. This gallery was 3.0m wide on three sides and 8.4m wide on the outlet side.The gallery had removable gratings as cover in order to facilitate maintenance. Capacity of the reservoirwas proposed to be 40million gallons. The reservoir is divided into four compartments with baffle walls in each one for water circulation. Roof of the reservoir is kept at 300mm above ground level. There are two levels of car park on top of the reservoir. Top of the reservoir roof is at +14.35. Bottom varies from - 6.68 to -7.08. Lowest water table is at +6.00. Concrete structure of the reservoir was designed by a local consultant. The Navayuga Engineering Company was entrusted with the construction. Please see Figs 1 and 2."

Jan 1, 2017

By Kazunori Matsushita, Masaru Sakakibara, Kenji Harada, Naotoshi Shinkawa, Mitsuo Nozu

The Sand Compaction Pile (SCP) method has been widely used as a typical countermeasure against liquefaction in Japan, and its effectiveness has been confirmed in many case histories of damages caused by the past large-scale earthquakes. A series of studies were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the compaction method and other factors, if any, in sustaining a seismic force that is greater than the assumed one and caused no damage. Based on the results of these studies, the Architectural Institute of Japan (AIJ) has indicated in its “Recommendations for Design of Ground Improvement for Building Foundations” published in 2006 that the liquefaction resistance ratio (tl/sz) of the composite ground, which consists of sand piles and surrounding compacted ground, is higher than the RL calculated by using the SPT N-values of the ground in-between the sand piles. In this paper, statistical analysis of safety factor against liquefaction, FL, was performed by using the SPT N-values of ground in Port Island and Rokko Island which were both fully reclaimed islands in Kobe city during the 1995 Hyogo-ken Nambu Earthquake (classified as intense shaking) and, together with the consideration of relative settlement, resulted in tl/sz of the composite ground being 1.5~2.5 times of tl/sz of the soil in-between piles after improvement. Furthermore, the liquefaction resistance curve of SCP-improved sites obtained from the relationship between SPT N-values and cyclic shear stress ratio during the 2011 off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake, which was regarded as long-duration earthquake, was plotted to the left side of the curve originally proposed by Japan Road Association. Thus, the liquefaction resistance of the improved ground was found to be higher than that of the natural ground, even for the same SPT N-values, verifying the validity of the AIJ recommendation.

Jan 1, 2017

By Patrick van der Schaaf

"During 2016, foundation piling works were completed to allow for the construction of a production and storage/handling terminal in Rotterdam. It is there that steel foundations will be produced for offshore wind farms and the oil and gas industry. Several Dutch contracting companies were involved in constructing: foundations for an assembly hall, a barge quay and a deep-sea quay wall. For the hall foundations, cast in situ concrete vibro piles were created. Open ended steel casing piles were also installed due to very high cone resistances which made it impossible to perform cast in situ piles in certain areas. The quay wall was constructed with open ended steel casing piles in combination with sheet piles. A deep-sea quay wall was also constructed to provide enough storage area for the offshore mono piles. This project was unique and challenging due to the use of different foundation technologies in challenging circumstances and soil conditions. This paper will give an insight into the Dutch use of varying foundation piling techniques for deep-sea quay wall constructions. It can be concluded that even experienced local contractors can be surprised by variations in soil conditions. It will also show how the contractors adapted to the difficult circumstances.PROJECT OUTLINEThe project consisted of a barge quay near the assembly hall with a length of 500 metres, width of 42 metres and a height of 35 metres, and a deep-sea quay wall 480 metres in length. This paper concentrates on the foundation works for the construction of the deep-sea quay wall. The construction of the deep-sea quay wall consisted of a combination of open ended steel casing piles with a diameter of Ø 1420 mm and a wall thickness varying between 21 and 23 mm. The lengths of the steel casing piles varied between 32 and 37 metres. Between the steel casing piles triple PU 28 sheet piles were installed with lengths varying between 26 and 29 metres. In the Netherlands, a combination of open ended steel piles and sheet piles is known as a “combi wall”. For the deep-sea quay wall a steel combi wall was shored with steel H- section profiles that were driven in a raked position whilst being injected with grout, so called MV-piles. The MV piles for this project consisted of steel HEB 600 sections with lengths from 52 up to 59 metres and were installed with angles varying between 42.5 and 47.5 degrees. For a detailed overview regarding the project specifications reference is made to table 1 which is presented below."

Jan 1, 1900

By Alexi J. Neill

"This presentation will showcase two challenging projects with deep excavation support systems in the Atlanta area where state-of-the-art instrumentation and monitoring systems were used to manage risk by confirming design performance requirements / calculations during construction. The instrumentation and monitoring system successfully reduced risk by recording real-time data on a project website while simultaneously sending email alarms to key site personnel when data exceeded pre-determined alarm thresholds. The monitoring data revealed unexpected performance at an early enough stage so that contingency plans could be engaged and remedial efforts devised in order to limit the consequences. Finite element analysis was used to model deformations, analyze the unexpected performance, and prepare theremedial design.INTRODUCTIONConstruction in densely populated urban areas is becoming more common in order to keep up with the increasing infrastructure demands of our growing population. America’s big cities continue to outpace the overall nation in population growth. The city of Atlanta, the nation’s ninth largest city based on metropolitan population, is a prime example of this. The population has grown at a rate of 6.6% between 2010 and 2013, nearly triple the overall growth rate of the United States during the same period (SustainAtlanta, 2015).As a result of increasing infrastructure demands in Atlanta, developers are now constructing larger buildings on smaller properties. In addition, developers are attempting to maximize space on their selected properties, often by designing underground parking garages to accommodate as many cars as possible on these compact sites. In some cases the selected sites are adjacent to buildings, utilities, and other existing structures. The risk associated with construction increases during underground work that requires a support of excavation system, particularly on confined sites adjacent to existing structures. There is a risk posed to people, property, and the environment that the project team should monitor when constructing in these conditions."

Jan 1, 2016

By James S. Graham

Research at the University of Colorado on southern pine and Douglas-fir piling has determined that the existing building code design stress values of 1200 psi and 1250 psi, as determined by ASTM D-2899, are substantiated; but testing procedures should be revised. All full size piling tests should be standardized at 1/d ratios of 2:1, or confined tests performed. Also, it has been determined that theoretical design values for timber piling should not be based on the lumber criteria of D-245 and D-2555, but instead should follow the pattern set by engineers in the utility industry for timber poles, in accordance with ANSI 05.1.

Jan 1, 1986

By Keithe J. Merl, Brendan FitzPatrick, Gregg Piazza

Urban and industrial construction projects commonly involve interior work within buildings, warehouses and manufacturing facilities. Renovations of these existing structures must address both structural and geotechnical engineering challenges while also balancing the practicality of implementing solutions within site constraints including limited site access, overhead clearance restrictions, vibration tolerances and uninterrupted facility operations. This paper highlights two projects for an international shipping company where mezzanine level additions within active shipping facilities required construction of new foundations. Construction requirements included low vibration levels, as well as rapid and clean installation to limit impacts on the active shipping operations. The selected system also needed to adjust to both variable ground conditions and differing overhead clearances. This paper describes the installation, design and performance of Ductile Iron Piles used to meet the project challenges. The low vibration, driven pile system offered the ability to work within restricted overhead environments while successfully delivering working compression capacities ranging from 45 to 75 tons (41 to 68 tonnes) as well as lateral and tension resistance. The paper also presents the results of site-specific load testing (and pile capacity) for various termination criteria. INTRODUCTION Urban and industrial construction projects commonly involve interior work within buildings, warehouses and manufacturing facilities. Renovations of these existing structures must address both structural and geotechnical engineering challenges associated with the new construction. Foundation solutions must also balance the need to achieve design requirements with the practicality to be installed within the particular site constraints including limited site access, overhead clearance restrictions, vibration tolerances and uninterrupted facility operations.

Jan 1, 2019

By Brian Metcalfe, Kord Wissmann, Gianni Martinez

The Middle East consists of vast deserts that reach temperatures up to 50 degrees Celsius, with some areas characterized by endless sand dunes. When the project team selected the location for a large new transportation project, little did they know that the site would be characterized by soft, nearly normally consolidated silt and clay extending below a thin sand crust. Searching for solutions, the design team elected to reinforce the subsurface with Rammed Aggregate Pier® (RAP) ground improvement elements and desired verification that the novel method would stand the test of prolonged static loads. Because the concrete pavements would serve to spread the load, a “zone load test” was performed, consisting of applying a uniform bearing pressure of 150 kPa over a 7.5m square concrete footing. Unlike individual pier load tests, the zone test allowed the project engineers the opportunity to confirm design parameter values under large-loading area conditions, a situation not often available to most designers. This paper presents the results of the zone load test whose results may be interpreted to better understand design parameter values. This paper is of particular significance because it adds a value contribution to the relatively few numbers of “group load tests” available in the literature for ground improvement applications.

May 1, 2022

By Ali Azizian, Brian Hall

"Driven piles were selected to support the Fraser Heights Bridge bents. Piles were a key component of the top-down construction approach, which was adopted for minimizing potential impacts on an environmentally sensitive wetland. Project requirements mandated verification of pile capacities using dynamic methods. More than 40 Pile Driving Analyzer (PDA) tests were performed. The subsurface conditions were highly variable. On the east side, piles extended through loose sands, soft silts/clays, and two peat layers and were founded in glacial till-like soils at about 45 m depth. However, on the west side, till-like materials were so shallow that it was difficult to drive the piles sufficiently deep to obtain the necessary lateral support. This paper provides an overview of the geotechnical considerations of the bridge design and top-down construction approach, and expands on the presentation of PDA results and how they compared to pile capacity estimation methods and parameters recommended in the applicable design codes.INTRODUCTIONThe Fraser Heights Bridge (FHB) was a component of the Fraser Heights Connector (FHC), a 2 km section of the South Fraser Perimeter Road (SFPR), constructed as part of the Port Mann/Highway 1 (PMH1) Improvement Project. The FHC is located in northeast Surrey BC (Fig. 1).Two major design and construction determinants were: 1) a mandated tight schedule to provide a non-tolled alternative to a new toll bridge; and, 2) an obligation that construction had to occur with minimal impact on the environmentally sensitive wetland the FHB crossed, including limiting the footprint of the permanent and temporary works to less than 45 m2, and prohibiting construction access onto the wetland. Construction equipment was only allowed on the wetland on temporary trestles or on the finished structure. This latter requirement resulted in the bridge being constructed span by span, using a top-down approach."

Jan 1, 2016

By Patrick J. Hannigan, William H. Walton, Ryan C. Rusk, Van E. Komurka

"The project consists of a 33-story building with two levels of below-grade parking across the entire building footprint. Timely and cooperative teamwork among the owner/developer, geotechnical engineer, testing agency, structural engineer, construction manager, and pile-driving contractor resulted in an efficient, costeffective, high-capacity driven-pile foundation on a constrained urban site with significantly variable subsurface conditions. Design objectives included utilizing the highest allowable pile loads reasonably installed from a drivability perspective, using readily available equipment. A pre-production test program was performed on 16-inch-diameter (406-mm-diameter) steel pipe piles, driven closed-ended and subsequently filled with concrete. The test program included dynamic monitoring of 10 piles during installation, and of select piles during long-term restrike testing with a drop hammer, with one instrumented static load test. CAPWAP® analyses were performed on both end-of-initial-drive and beginning-of-restrike dynamic test records. The site exhibited significant soil set-up, even after relatively short wait times. Testprogram objectives included characterizing set-up profiles. A design set-up profile was used to develop depth-variable driving criteria for both 500- and 600-kip (2,224- and 2,669-kN) allowable load piles. Test program results permitted more-accurate reduced capacities to be assigned to damaged piles, and to piles which experienced practical refusal. These more-accurate assigned reduced capacities decreased the number of replacement piles required by 50 percent, saving both time and cost.PROJECT DESCRIPTIONThe project, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA consists of a 33-story mixed-use residential building with two levels of below-grade parking across the entire site footprint. Column service loads range from 1,400 to 4,200 kips (6,228 to 18,683 kN). The project is located immediately adjacent to an existing two-story masonry retail building with a partial basement, supported on shallow spread-footing foundations.Subsurface Conditions – The generalized soil conditions are presented in Fig. 1. Site grades were relatively level, with a ground-surface elevation of approximately +53 feet (16 m), Milwaukee City Datum (“MCD”). Fill material from previous construction was encountered to approximate Elev. +33 feet (10 m). Below the fill, medium dense silty sand, to silt with sand, was encountered to approximate Elev. +23 feet (7 m). Underlying deposits consisted of lean clay, with undrained shear strengths ranging from approximately 1,000 to 3,000 pounds per square foot (psf) (48 to 144 kPa). Silty sand, to silt with sand, exhibiting increasing relative density with depth, was found below the lean clay to approximate Elev. -92 feet (-28 m), where hard lean clay (glacial till) with undrained shear strengths in excess of 5,000 psf (239 kPa) was encountered. Borings did not extend below Elev. -103 feet (-31 m)."

Jan 1, 2017

By Diane Reid, Antonio Marinucci, Robin Mao

Super Cells are an innovative, open-shaped bi-directional static load testing device used to promote concrete flow during placement while utilizing greater cross-sectional area of the pile to achieve large applied axial loads at relatively low hydraulic pressures (≤ 250 bar). This paper describes the results of multi-level load testing performed on a sacrificial drilled shaft that was 3.8 m (12.7 ft) in diameter and 110.6 m (363 ft) in length for the Jiaxing-Shaoxing River Crossing Bridge that spans Hangzhou Bay in Shaoxing, China. The test shaft was instrumented with embedded strain gauges and telltale rods along with displacement transducers at the top of the pile to measure the load-induced displacements along the length of the shaft. Load testing was performed twice using a Super Cell placed near the tip of the shaft, prior and subsequent to tip post-grouting, and then again using a Super Cell placed higher in the shaft. The axial resistance for the tested conventional drilled shaft was more than 5 times greater than the estimated axial resistance. In addition, the axial resistance after tip post-grouting (347,100 kN (39,033 ton)) was about 5.3% greater than the ungrouted axial resistance (329,600 kN (37,050 ton)). INTRODUCTION During the past few decades, the magnitude of axial, lateral, and flexural loading has considerably increased due to updated design codes, larger superstructures, and the manner in which extreme event loading (e.g. seismic and scour) is incorporated into design. The diameter and depths to which bored piles or drilled shafts are constructed have increased considerably during the last three decades due to the advancements in equipment technology and capabilities. In addition, monoshaft foundations have become increasingly used, as one large drilled shaft is able to replace a group of smaller diameter piles connected by a cap. Correspondingly, adequate strata, for both side and end resistance, must be discovered/determined as well as achievable to be able to construct the required foundations to support the greater design demands. As design demands have increased, the need to ensure integrity, quality, and performance of a constructed drilled shaft has become ever more crucial. Load tests are essential to validate design assumptions of side and end resistances, to assess the behavior and load transfer characteristics of the constructed drilled shafts, and to evaluate construction methods. Load tests utilizing a bi-directional static load testing (BDSLT) device can achieve considerably large applied axial loads and can be performed more economically, in less time, and in a much safer manner than conventional top-down static load testing methods.

Jan 1, 2019

By Bao K. Le, Khang T. Truong, Masaki Kitazume, Toru Kobayshi, Long P. Le, Tanaka Hitoshi, Makoto Kamimura, Hoang-Hung Tran-Nguyen

"Earth levees constructed using dredged materials taken from a river along an earth levee have annually damaged in the Mekong Delta due to high void spacing in earth levees and floodwater. Sliding and internal erosion due to floodwater or piping are two key factors causing earth levees’ failures. This study proposed to apply Deep Mixing Method (DMM) to reinforce earth levees in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The DMM creates a soil cement wall or soilcrete wall having better engineering properties such as higher strength and low hydraulic conductivity than those of the in-situ soils. The DMM can be applied to reinforce earth levees with limit additional materials that provinces in the Mekong Delta are difficult to supply. The study investigates capacity of the DMM to reinforce earth levees in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam against annual floods. Seepage and slope stability analyses under various conditions were performed with various scenarios of earth levee’s body. The analysis results indicate that the DMM can create a wall that cuts off piping across earth levee significantly and can improve stability against deep sliding due to rapid drawdown of the floodwater.INTRODUCTIONThe Mekong Delta produces agriculture products of 50% of the whole country even though the Mekong Delta has an agriculture area of 30% of the country (Wikipedia 2014). Rice is the main product for the domestic demand and export. This is the main reason why the local people want to cultivate rice 3 times per year to increase the total rice product for export. To do that, the local provinces have constructed earth levees surrounding each area of 100-200-hectare against annual floods to protect rice fields, and farmers can grow rice in the whole year. There are thousands of kilometers long earth levees in the Mekong Delta, and the local governments have spent millions of US dollars to repair and to maintain their earth levees yearly (reports of Dong Thap province 2012; 2014).Earth levees in the Mekong Delta have often failed in flood seasons (e.g., from August to December), especially in Dong Thap and An Giang provinces – the two provinces confronting directly the annual floods from the Mekong River when the floods reach the Vietnam land. The main failure of earth levees is piping, and then causing collapse of some section of an earth levee. An earth levee was usually constructed by piling up dredged materials along a river with minimum compaction. Subsequently, floodwater flows through connected void spacing and washes out soil particles in the body of an earth levee slowly to create piping. Annual wet-dry cycles make the top clay layer swelling and shrinking to form cracks that can store rainwater to trigger sliding (whitlow 2001; Ton That Vinh 2003)."

Jan 1, 2015

By R. B. King

This document was prepared by the DFI International Grouting Committee with the intent to provide a summary of main Standards and Guidelines available for the North America and Europe grouting industry. This document highlights the different approaches, methods and tools used internationally. The DFI International Grouting Committee comprises all parties involved on a grouting project: Owners, regulators, engineers, contractors, and manufacturers (equipment and materials). This document is not intended to cover every conceivable application or requirement of grouting. However, it does provide standard practice requirements for qualifications, materials, equipment, testing, and production procedures for the professional engineer to incorporate into their project specific requirements.

Jan 1, 2021

By Anburaj C., Srinivas A.

Deep excavation with support system is required to construct various part of underground structures like shafts, stations and entry structures etc. These structures have to be constructed using permanent or temporary embedded retaining walls with support system. The selection of a suitable type of retaining wall will depend upon the geological condition present in the particular location, time, cost and available equipment etc. In Bangalore Metro Rail Project, secant pile wall is adopted as the temporary earth retaining system and depth of excavation is about 20 m. It is designed initially based on bottom up construction methodology with 3 level of struts and 3 level of anchors but at later stage due to time and other construction related issues, it is decided to change the configuration to 6 levels of strut. Generally, in deep excavations, all the underground structures should be designed and checked for the critical forces from both permanent stage and construction stages. Since, secant piles are used as temporary retaining wall, only construction stage analysis is carried out to get the governing forces and deformation. In construction stage analysis, soil layers are defined with boundary conditions and the surcharge during construction and surcharge from actual building near the secant pile are considered. This paper discusses the effect of change in the support system from anchors to struts and how these changes in the support system affect the behavior of secant pile and subsequently adjacent buildings present in the influence zone of the excavation. As a result, in changing from anchors to struts, the wall displacement, strut forces and ground movement on the adjacent ground and buildings increases. The increase in deflection, ground movements and strut forces occurs during backfilling sequence of the underground station excavation. During backfilling, struts has to be removed and this imparts higher magnitude in deflection, strut forces and ground movements.

Nov 1, 2022

By Dewey W. Geary, Rachael V. Bisnett, R. Michael Bivens, Thomas G. Andrews

"The powerhouse for the Red Rock Hydroelectric Project is being constructed at the toe of the existing U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Red Rock Dam immediately adjacent to the existing stilling basin retaining wall. The powerhouse excavation extends though overburden and 40 feet into rock. Prior to rock excavation, a grouting was performed around the excavation for the purpose of increasing the strength of zones of fractured rock. For the majority of the perimeter, the rock was fairly tight and grout takes were relatively low. However, for a 160 foot extent along the landside of the excavation, extensive grouting was required to treat a two to five foot thick zone characterized by artesian flows from grout holes on the order of 20 gallons per minute (gpm) or higher from a voided zone in rock that was partially filled with sand, clay, and rock fragments. This paper discusses the treatment measures used to fill and improve the strength of this zone, which ultimately entailed a combination of thick cement grout and polyurethane grout, holes spaced as close as 18 inches on-center, and two additional rows of grout holes.IntroductionThe Red Rock Hydroelectric Project (Project) is currently under construction at the existing U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Red Rock Dam on the Des Moines River near Pella, Iowa. At peak generation, the Project will generate up to 55 MW with an average annual energy output of 178 gigawatt-hours.The powerhouse for the Project will be located at the toe of the existing dam immediately adjacent to the existing stilling basin retaining wall. The powerhouse excavation extends up to a depth of 40 feet into rock through the St. Louis Limestone and terminates in the Warsaw Limestone. Prior to rock excavation, grouting was performed around the excavation for the purpose of improving the strength of zones of fractured rock. An auxiliary benefit of the grouting was reducing seepage into the excavation. Grouting began on July 20, 2015 and ultimately concluded on September 26, 2015.Drilling and grouting occurred as planned on the riverside (southwest) of the excavation along the cellular cofferdam and stilling basin wall (grout holes P-1 through S-13) and on the upstream (northwest) side of the excavation along the secant pile excavation support wall (grout holes P-14 through S-19) (refer to Fig. 1). The rock in these areas was generally tight with relatively low grout takes. However, on the landside (northeast) of the excavation (grout holes P-20 through P-28), partially infilled voids and artesian flows were encountered during drilling generally between depths of about 28 to 40 feet."

Jan 1, 2016