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By Zhou Lu-Jian

The Port of Shekou is situated at Shenzhen Bay on the east bank of Lingding Ocean. Its coastline is about 6 km long and the water depth near the shore is Favourable. Across the bay is the ' New Territories " of Hong Kong. The port is at a distance of 22-23 seamilesaway from center of Hong Kong and 80 seamiles to Huangpu Harbour of Guangzhou, its highway links with Shen-Guang Highay. Since 19 79 China Merchants Group of the Transportation Department, began to set up Shekou Industrial Zone, the port has been developing and flouri­shing in business. With 15 large or small berths in all, the present portline is 2600 m, and the annual cargo throughout is over 3,000,000 tons and the annual passenger traffic is about 2,000,000 persons. Equalling a medium-scale seaport, it has been officially approved as an oceangoing transit port by the ministry of Transportation. The construction of Shekou port is chara-terized by the self-collected funds and the short construction period. In view of this, the optional plan of the port structure must serve the requirements of simplicity in struture, economy in mate­rial and speed in construction. That accounts for the most application of the sheet piling type to the port in Shekou. Once the project was approved, the cons­truction started. Only within an average period of 7-8 months, a deep water pier was completed and put into operation, which covered series of processes from exploration, designing, tender for con­struction to completion.

Jan 1, 1991

Port Gaspé is located on the back side of Gaspé bay and is protected by a natural sand barrier with a length of 2,5 km, from which it got its name, Gaspé Sandy Beach (1). Since 1904 the Gaspé region had a deep water wharf, initially very different, in fact, from the one existing just before the recent reconstruction (2). This wharf with a length of 228 m and a width of 23 m was build of timber cribs. The outside walls of these cribs had been doubled with a wooden wall, creosote impregnated to provide resistance to decay and to the attack of marine organisms (limnorias) (3). Fifteen years ago the upper part of the wood construction had to be removed, because of progressing rottenness and was replaced by an L-shaped reinforced concrete structure (4).

Jan 1, 1987

By Huw Williams

It is becoming increasingly common practice to re-use existing foundations for new projects, especially on urban sites where geotechnical conditions are congested. A knowledge of the foundation dimensions and capacity is essential for this to take place, however, as-built records are often non-existent. Non-Destructive evaluation (NDE) is now becoming an important tool in assessing old foundation properties and their potential for re-use. Pile dimensions are also critical in the power industry, when they are supporting transmission towers which need to be upgraded, and may carry additional wind loading. This paper describes the application of various NDE techniques that are available and how they can be used to determine pile length, shape and capacity in difficult site conditions, including foundations under structures.

Jan 1, 2006

By L. F. Albert

The paper describes solutions given to foundation problems during the reconstruction of a power plant set on fire, located adjacent to several still Working Units. After a detailed site and laboratory investigation, it was decided that it could be possible to include within the new foundations the preexisting cast in situ driven piles with enlarged base 50 cm in diameter and let them work with new 41 cm driven, cast in situ piles without enlarged base. Demolition of existing caps was carried out with expansive mortar in order to avoid any possible damage to piles, whose actual conditions were checked by several load tests. New piles were designed to support service load by shaft resistance, in order to limit total and differential settlement. When piles had to be driven adjacent to nearby structures, measurements of peak soil particles velocity were carried out while driving piles at decreasing distance from critical locations. By preboring most of the upper clay layer it was possible to reduce within safe limits for structures the induced vibrations.

Jan 1, 1989

By experience we know about the natural event of ocean-tides. In geophysics we say that the earth-tides phenomenon is the elastico-viscous response of the earth's body to the attraction potential of moon and sun. By the fact that the tides on the planet take place in a regular periodic frequency, due to the earth rotation of 24 houres for one cycle, the rotation of the moon in about 28 days around the earth and finally to the rotation of the earth-moon combination around the sun in 365 days this phenomenon is a very important one in geophysics. The exact calculation of the acting forces is possible and the comparison of the earth's body response to these forces as well.

Jan 1, 1987

By J. A. Elliot

Deep Mix-in-Place soil stabilisation is achieved by forming columns of soil/cement arranged to overlap by secant intersection. Alternate columns are constructed initially and infilled. The cementitious material injected is designed to retard the strength of the resulting mix thereby allowing satisfactory overlapping. Columns are constructed using a designed large diameter mixing auger mounted on a smaller diameter auger stem. This is firstly screwed to the design depth removing only such spoil as to enable penetration of the auger, and subsequently counter rotated and extracted in a predetermined mixing pattern and grout injection rate to ensure continuous and homogeneous treatment through each successive level. The process is performed whilst monitoring auger depth, grout flow and pressure. Cementation Piling and Foundations Limited used this technique to stabilise allu­vium and to facilitate the construction, by conventional techniques, of a circular pumping station pit of 10M diameter to 10M below ground level. The work was carried out within 3M of adjacent domestic properties, and on a very restricted site in Elland, West Yorkshire. Ground conditions consist of 2M of cohesive alluvium becoming water bearing and increasingly sandy and gravelly with cobbles which overlies the mudstones at 10.0m depth. Sandstones beneath formed an aquiclude to artesian ground water with the underside of the open excavation approxi­mately 1.0M from the top of this material. Peripheral treatment into the mudstone, coupled with pressure relief wells, proved successful and final excavation depth was achieved in "the dry".

Jan 1, 1989

By B. N. Hira

A multistoreyed residential complex was at the penultimate stage of construction by ONGC at Nazira, Assam. The site was situated at high earthquake zone. The subsoil was very weak and contained soft to medium clay with water table almost at the ground level. The bearing capacity of soil was quite poor particularly with predicted settlement beyond permissible limit. In this situation, the conventional shallow and deep foundations were found uneconomical and ground improvement with granular piles was considered as the viable solution. ONGC approached the Central Building Research Institute with the request to design granular piles along with R.C.C. foundation and other suitable cost effective measures. CBRI collected relevant geotechnical informations and supplimented the data by conducting field tests at site and laboratory tests at Roorkee. Rational design of 30 cm dia. and 5.00 meter deep granular piles were suggested with isolated and combined RCC footings over the reinforced soil. In addition to several structural and geotechnical advantages, the granular pile foundation provided considerable economy in the cost of construction. The paper presents the salient geotechnical and structural informations of the challenging project and provides the design details of the innovative granular pile-system. It also furnishes the design approach of the RC footings and other elements of the foundation.

Jan 1, 1996

By B. C. Slocombe

A large derelict inner city site was regenerated for use as a distribution warehouse. Difficult topography and soils conditions required the adoption of a combination of specialist geotechnical processes. Particular attention was paid to the preparation of the site, programming and capabilities of each technique as additional soils information became available.

Jan 1, 1989

By Mait Mets

In Estonia, the deformations monitoring of 1500 buildings are currently under investigation, buildings on pile foundations make up 10 per cent of these. In the following text we will be considering the behaviour of pile foundation buildings in various parts of Estonia, in differing geotechnical conditions.

Jan 1, 2002

By Wolf-R. Under

For improvement of urban traffic infrastructure, the City of Amsterdam is cur­rently constructing the 9.5 km long North-South Metro line passing through the central districts of Amsterdam. Focal section of the project is the Central Station linking the NS Line with the Central Railway Station, the East Metro line, new bus and tramway terminals, ferries and individual traffic. Construction works required for the project are of high complexity and technical standards. They are executed under severe restrictions concerning programming, space, logistics, and impact on the integrity of existing buildings and structures as all existing installations and facilities have to maintain fully operational during the construction period. The paper deals with the main geotechnical features of the project and in particular with the diaphragm wall and bored pile construction at the Voor-plein and the De Ruijterkade sections of the Central Station.

Jan 1, 2006

By P. J. Yttrup

Small diameter timber piles are used in Australia to solve foundation problems in soft or filled ground and expansive soil. The paper describes the results of pile load tests to develop simple methods for bearing capacity determination and observation of the performance of piles in expansive soil.

Jan 1, 1989

By A. R. Jambekar

City of Bombay has been developed out of former 7 islands. Landmass of 434 sq.km. of Bombay, started looking inadequate for further growth and expansion of Bombay City. In order to develope twin city of New Bombay, State Government formed fully owned Company "City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited", (CIDCO) in 1971 and entrusted it with planning and development including social and physical infrastructure of New Bombay.Hence, Trans - Thane Creek area is being planned and developed, to serve as counter-magnet to Bombay. Area of 343 sq.km located on the main land, is fast developing into a satellite community, for India's overcrowded financial capital. Thane Creek, running in almost North-South direction, separates Bombay City from main land and posed a significant barrier, to further expansion of city's sprawling suburbs, until, it was bridged for the first time in 1972. On the basis of traffic study, CIDCO decided to construct an additional road link across Thane creek to cope up with future projected traffic. This bridge will connect Airoli in New Bombay and Eastern Express highway near Mulund. Bridging the vast, exposed tidal Thane Creek, have always posed challenging conditions, during constructions of these bridges. In this paper, case history of deep open foundations provided for Airoli Bridge is presented.

Jan 1, 1996

By Y. X. Tong

The simplicity off Ø=0 analysis has been taken advantage of to evaluate the geotech­nical problems of open caissons, slurry trench walls and piles in Shanghai. Undrained shear strengths obtained by various testing methods are correlated with case record and experimental data. Some problems posed by the construction of tall buildings are briefly discussed. Comments on applications are made to help engineers deal with practical problems.

Jan 1, 2010

By Martin Pratt

This paper is an overview of deep foundation engineering in Hong Kong past, present and future. The enormity of the subject compared with the space available makes brevity inevitable. Issues of construction and design are covered and some examples of recent challenging projects are given. The content is aimed at those with an interest in foundations generally, but with limited knowledge of the Hong Kong scene. Reference is made to informative publications for further reading on specific topics.

Jan 1, 2000

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 Lewis Stansfield

A rotary displacement method was used to install permanent steel casings for bored piles through an asbestos tip. This method was chosen in preference to alternative driven systems because it was quieter and more versatile if obstructions were encountered. New equipment was designed and made specifically for the project, and stringent health and safety regulations had to be observed.

Jan 1, 2000

By Walter Ensinger

Working safely means working cost-effectively. Every "dangerous occurrence" and - even more so - every industrial accident causes disruptions in the planned course of construction. Besides moral and legal obligations, economic aspects are therefore also factors motivating increased efforts towards optimal prevention: improvements in work safety and protection of health are wise investments! Ever since its earliest days, the European Federation of Foundation Contractors (EFFC) has made this subject one of its key objectives and therefore set up a Safety + Environmental Working Group, in which experts from the member organisations exchange national experience and develop proposals for "best practices". The paper presents current developments and results from the work of the S+E WG with particular reference to the project "Ideas for Safety Improvement".

Jan 1, 2006

By Mohab Sabry

Pile foundations are used extensively around the world to support both inland and offshore structures, including important structures such as nuclear plants and oil drilling platforms. The limit of the pile depth is currently predicted during the pile deriving process, given no chance for the designer to predict accurately the capacity of these piles prior installation. Furthermore, after pile installation, designer may not be able to modify the pile group design by increasing the number of piles and or changing the geometry of the pile group. This paper presents a numerical model for the case of single piles driven in homogenous sand using finite element technique and the theory of cavity expansion. The model is capable of simulating all the construction stages of concrete piles up to the maximum depth, which can be driven in sand and accordingly the capacity, which can be attained by these piles. The program "PLAXIS" is used to perform the proposed analysis. This model simulates the process of pile driving in terms of the changes in the earth pressure and the overconsolidation ratio acting along the pile's shaft. Based on the results of the present investigation, these depths can be predicted based on the pile geometry and the sand properties. Charts are given to provide these depths for given pile/soil conditions.

Jan 1, 2006

By Alan B. Wagner

The River Tower is a proposed 27-story condominium building in the heart of downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin (USA). The tower will be over 100 m tall, and will have a ground area measuring 15 m by 40 m. The structure will be constructed of cast-in-place reinforced concrete. Certain transfer girders and stabilizing diagonals will be constructed of post-tensioned concrete. Vertical loads will be transmitted through an arrangement of columns, bearing walls, and elevator and stair cores. A mat foundation will be used to connect and integrate these load-carrying elements. The site's geologic profile includes 8.4 m of compressible estuarine (organic) deposits. To control settlement, the mat will be pile-supported. These deposits are underlain by moderate-strength inorganic deposits that extend to bedrock at 32 m.

Jan 1, 2002

By Sun Jiale

This paper presents a brief description of information construction technology for supported excavation to assure satisfactory performance of engineered system. As a successful example of application of the technique, quite a few troublesome problems, such as high groundwater level in soft ground and crowded buildings around the excavation, were solved satisfactorily in the construction of the new tower of Guangzhou Overseas Chinese Manison.

Jan 1, 1991