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By Farhad Elmi

In this paper, a new procedure is used to find the bearing capacity of single piles and cone penetration resistance in soils. Although the procedure is mainly applicable to clay and sand using any plasticity model, this paper deals only with steady penetration in Sand. Cylindrical cavity expansion around the probe in a calibration chamber is modeled by finite element method using the HUJEUX elasto-plastic multi-mechanism model. The penetration resistance (qc) is related to cylindrical cavity expansion pressure limit (pL) using the method of Salgado et al. (1997). This procedure is tested using the results found in 3S/IMG calibration chamber. In this article the word "penetrometer" refers to both pile and cone.

Jan 1, 2002

By Maurice Guillaud

The most striking innovations on diaphragm-wall construction plant are those associated with continuous real-time trajectory monitoring of the excavating tool (either a grab or a hydro-cutter). The recent equipments are fitted with clinometers and gyrometers to control deflection, rotation or deviation from the vertical, thus allowing to install diaphragm-walls with a verticality accuracy of less than 0.3%. One of the greatest advantages of extensive use of on-board IT systems on the Hydrocutters and hydraulic grab machines is that it aids quality control by automatically producing complete real-time reports of all excavating data (verticality, depth, type of ground, rate of progress, stoppages, etc.). These reports are available to the Engineer, providing the total transparency required for Works Supervision and the Quality Assurance Plan. They also provide the Contractor with input data for databases used for optimising efficiency and progress criteria on future jobs.

Jan 1, 2002

By Arvindh Gupta

BC Hydro proposed to improve the stability of the existing Seven Mile Dam with 54 corrosion protected, re-stressable anchors comprising 92/0.6? strands each, in phase 2 of the program. Being globally the largest capacity anchors ever build, coupled with extra ordinary specifications, the project was a challenge for the entire post tensioning industry. The paper discusses the challenges associated with the anchor material supply as per specifications, extensive research and development carried out by Con-Tech Systems ltd. to overcome the challenges and contribute in making the project a success. The substance of this article is published in the Aug/Sep issue of ADSC magazine.

Jan 1, 2004

By Jim Bruce

This paper presents details of a slope stabilization scheme built in late 2003 at a 16m-high railway embankment in southern Ontario, Canada. The owner, faced with continuing maintenance and safety issues arising from numerous nuisance slides, and residential neighbors in close proximity to the slope, sought new proposals to replace a previous recommendation to cut down all trees and undertake a deep soil nailing scheme. A non-reticulated micropile array with surface cap beam was proposed and built on the south side of the embankment with no tree removal required. A detailed FLAC analysis was completed, using multiple iterations to arrive at the eventual, optimized micropile depth and spacing. Analysis predicted an 18% increase in the factor of safety. Short term inclinometer monitoring and performance evaluations in the months since construction so far corroborate the prediction.

Jan 1, 2004

By Barry C. Roth

Driving of large piles in water can impact marine wildlife. Bubble curtains can mitigate these adverse effects. The procedures for and preliminary results of monitoring airborne, waterborne and groundborne vibrations with and without bubble curtains on a test project involving 2.438 m piles to 110 m is reported here. We observed fish kills and sea lions apparently fleeing the area. These phenomena were presumably due to the extreme acoustic effects of the powerful hammers which generated waterborne sound intensities locally in excess of 240 dB. This waterborne pile driving noise data collection undertaking is believed to be the most extensive ever attempted.

Jan 1, 2001

By Wanchai Teparaksa

Pile deviation generally can happen after installation of driven pile particularly in soft soil layers. In this case study, all 242 diameter 0.8 m spun piles were deviated from 20 to 820 mm. The large deviation was caused by lateral soil movement in the top very soft clay layer of thickness about 23 m. This very soft marine clay is very sensitive and anisotropic having high water contents of over 120% and low undrained shear strength of 5-10 kN/m2. The remedial works were carried out based on theory of load transfer and soil-structure interaction. All deviated piles were rectified and used as the foundation piles with strictly controlled pile load tests. The construction of a nine-storey building was successfully completed founded on the rectified piles and it has been opened for the service for over two years.

Jan 1, 2002

By J. K. Mitchell

Soil improvement is examined within the context of the characteristics of different soil types, the types of ground improvement techniques that can be used to improve them, and the level of improvements that might be achieved. Several case histories are described to show how the particular soil and foundation characteristics influence the choice and success of different ground improvement techniques. Although the basic methods for soil improvement have been known for many centuries, there have been significant recent advances in the technology for their use. Time effects following the densification of cohesionless soils may lead to significant improvements in strength and stiffness. Unanticipated chemical reactions may follow stabilization using admixtures when soils for which there has been little prior experience are encountered. In some cases foundations that combine features of both ground improvement and deep foundation systems may provide good performance at reasonable cost.

Jan 1, 2010

By Yong Jingrong

Based on the results of several test socketed piles in Sichuan, the mechanism of the deformation for a loaded socketed piles is investigated, and the concept of the socketed effect is proposed. The bearing capacity and settlement of socketed pile are controlled directly by socketed effect, that is an important mark different from the other types of cast-in-situ piles. According to the analysis of this effect and factors interferring it, their roles are discussed with the results of test piles. In order to increase the bearing capacity of piles, the ways and methods enhancing socketed effect are recommended.

Jan 1, 1991

By Piotr D. Moncarz

As major urban areas begin to run out of "good-terrain" for their expansion, they begin to claim high water-table areas within or adjacent to water fronts or swamps. Similarly, major infrastructure projects encroach on or cross high organic content areas. The associated major structures often require deep foundations located in soils investigated through core samples removed at a discrete number of locations. The investigation is nearly always preoccupied with soil mechanical properties, sometimes with soil non-organic chemistry for concrete and metal corrosion, seldom, if ever, for organic-chemistry and bio-conditions as related to concrete longevity. Not surprisingly so, bio-corrosion of concrete is one of the least understood phenomena by practicing civil engineers. This paper shows how low-iron, organic-rich sediments may trigger sulfate degradation of concrete, even when standard pre-construction chemical analyses indicate only a moderate sulfate level. The discussion is illustrated with a case of a pile foundation in the United States driven into marine channel sediments and sediment-derived fill material. The concrete piles lost their structural integrity due to secondary ettringite formation and depletion of iron in the cement paste. Disintegration of concrete occurred only where it contacted superficial marine sediments and sediment-derived fill material. Concrete in direct contact with seawater or native sand and silt materials appeared to be sound. Sediments in contact with the degraded concrete were highly anoxic and had a history of sewage contamination, contained low concentrations of total iron (<2%), Fe(III) (<0.3%) and moderate levels of sulfate (1500ppm), and exhibited high bacterial activity. This environment resulted in the microbial dissolution of Fe(lll)-rich ferrite in hardened cement paste. Iron depletion in the cement paste had made the concrete vulnerable to degradation by sulfate, even at moderate levels of sulfate concentrations in the sediments.

Jan 1, 2002

By Shenbaga R. Kaniraj

The pile loading tests are generally conducted to assess the safe load on piles in compression. In the Indian practice, the safe load is determined using the pile loading test data and the two criteria specified in the Indian Standard Code, IS.2911 (Part 4) -1985. For this, the test pile should have undergone a minimum displacement equal to 10% of the pile diameter. Often, the piles are not subjected loads that are sufficient to cause a displacement of this magnitude. If the settlement is at least 12 mm, then the safe load is determined based only on the first criterion. But, if the settlement is less than 12 mm, the safe load cannot be determined using the IS Code criteria. The paper presents two procedures called hyperbolic and generalized hyperbolic methods to estimate the safe load using the IS Code criteria even when the loading test data is insufficient. The data from two initial tests have been analyzed. The predicted safe loads have been compared with the actual safe loads.

Jan 1, 1996

By Maurice Bottiau

When dealing with displacement auger piling, some general and fundamental issues have to be considered, irrespective of the system. More than with other pile types, the interplay between the soil conditions and the design and execution is of outstanding importance. This paper intends to address these issues and to summarize some critical matters in terms of design, execution and control such as : ? Importance of a reliable soil investigation ; ? Summary of the design as it is addressed in Europe for this category of piles ; ? Criteria for a good choice and control of the correct asset of the piles ; ? Importance of the concreting phase; ? Relation between the power and the engine characteristics of the drilling equipment with the final bearing capacity. For each of these issues detailed examples will be given as well as results of load tests and in-situ control during execution.

Jan 1, 2003

By Larry D. Olson

Research, hardware development, and field testing have been conducted on systems to allow easy and accurate determination of both foundation tip depth as well as the properties of the soils at and above the foundation tip. The nondestructive testing method used for tip depth determination is the Parallel Seismic (PS) method, while the soil properties are determined by a Cone Penetrometer Test (CPT). The research and development effort reported herein uses a novel combination of the two methods to allow a single piece of portable field equipment to perform both tests. A system has been developed and tested that includes a triaxial geophone and a hydrophone in the cone probe tip to allow collection of the PS data by a CPT rig without requiring a drill rig with hollow stem augers. Using the instrumented tip along with a standard instrumented CPT cone allows for the simultaneous determination of both the depth of unknown foundations and the measurement of soil properties along the length of the unknown foundation. The combined system allows for a more complete and accurate analysis of foundation capacity and scour susceptibility.

Jan 1, 2007

By W. G. K. Fleming

The codification of foundation design and construction is a subject of extensive discussion in Europe and all current code proposals are based on limit state partial factoring. For simplicity, it is claimed, simplified forms of Partial Factor use are presently being advocated but, if this is the direction which codes are to follow, then it is preferable in this age of computer technology that a true system should be adopted rather than a simplification. A philosophically satisfactory method can readily be found which can fulfilcurrent requirements and it is better that such a method should be adopted from the beginning rather than later to find it necessary to make important alterations and amendments.

Jan 1, 1996

By Paul W. Mayne

The axial load-displacement-capacity and load-transfer response of deep foundations can be conveniently assessed by geophysical piezocone tests that provide four independent readings with depth, including tip stress (qt), sleeve friction (fs), porewater pressures (ub), and shear wave velocity (Vs). The penetration data (qt, fs, and ub) of the CPT are utilized to obtain the pile side friction (fp) and end bearing capacity (qb) while the shear wave measurements provide the initial stiffness. Within an elastic continuum framework, the axial pile deflections are calculated and an approximate nonlinear response is obtained by modulus degradation from small-strain response (G0) to intermediate- and large-strains (G). The continuum solution permits separation of load transfer along the sides and proportion to the base. Applications are shown for case studies involving an end-bearing drilled shaft, two friction-type drilled shafts in Alabama and Georgia, and a "Class A" prediction involving driven pipe piles in residuum of the Atlantic Piedmont geology. Load-transfer data were available for the drilled shaft foundations.

Jan 1, 2002

By Yingcai Han

The dynamic behavior of pile foundations is investigated in both theory and practice. The computation method for vibration of pile foundations and DYNAN computer program are introduced comprehensively. With a model of non-reflective boundary between the near field and far field, the Novak&apos;s method of soil-pile interaction is improved. The dynamic analysis and design of foundation for a reciprocation compressor with driver power 15,000 HP are described to illustrate the computation method of soil-pile interaction. Different design options for the piles are compared to limit the vibration of foundation and produce a safe, economic system. The design with 16 - 0.9 m piles is adopted rather than that with 25-0.5 m piles, since the larger damping is provided by the piles with larger diameter. Both field and laboratory tests were carried out to investigate the soil properties including down hole seismic tests to provide soil shear wave velocities at different depths. The method and procedure used in this study can be applied to the design of pile foundations for tall buildings, bridges and offshore platform with soil-pile interaction under seismic, blast, sea wave and other dynamic loads.

Jan 1, 2002

By Jorj O. Osterberg

This paper is for presentation at the 14th Annual Members Conference of the Deep Foundations Institute held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Baltimore Maryland on October 10, 1989. This is an introductory presentation of a one hour symposium on the applications of a new testing device. This paper discusses how the device works and its uses. Papers following this describe: - How the cell is constructed and calibrated - Two projects on which the device was used on long driven piles to determine the frictional capacity - A bridge project on which the device was used on an instrumented test drilled shaft and a working drilled shaft

Jan 1, 1989

By Stephen T. Bloomer

The application of a direct current electrical potential between a metallic pile and a fine grained soil results in an almost instantaneous change in the magnitude of the forces acting on the pile. During installation, with the pile connected as a cathode, the driving force needed can be reduced dramatically. Reversal of the polarity results in an increase in ultimate bearing capacity. The cause of the aforementioned phenomenon has been investigated and found to be two-fold; ie the electro-osmotic transport of pore-water and the electro-chemical hardening of the clay in close proximity to the pile. In the case of the former effect, the pore-water is transported towards the cathodic pile resulting in a temporary, reversible change in the engineering properties of the clay surrounding the pile. This effect is represented by a change in Skempton&apos;s Adhesion Factor (a). A total of one hundred and forty eight model tests was undertaken to study the change in the a valve using different types of metallic pile. The tests revealed changes in bearing capacity related to embedded length, skin-friction, end bearing and electro-osmotic gradient. It was shown in skin-friction-only tests that variations in soils strength across the soil profile caused by the electro-osmosis caused resultant changes in bearing capacity. This work is being carried out with the collaboration of Hercules Piling, a subsidiary of Stent Foundation Ltd.

Jan 1, 1996

By Serge Borel

An efficient design method is proposed for "piled-footing" and "piled-raft" foundation under lateral loads. It combines the methods used for the displacement design of shallow and deep foundations and takes into account the interactions between the piles and the cap or raft. This method has been applied to previous full-scale tests carried out in the United States. Two groups of six instrumented driven piles were laterally loaded several times: first with the concrete pile cap in direct contact with the soil, and then, after a thin layer of soil had been removed beneath the cap. The proposed method models well the real behavior of piled-raft foundations. It highlights the positive effect of the cap in contact with the soil, which reduces significantly the displacements and the maximum pile bending moments. These are divided by two for the analyzed case histories.

Jan 1, 2002

By Gary M. Weinstein

Micropiles have seen increasing use for foundation support and slope stabilization applications over the past half century. Most often designed and installed in groups of vertical or battered elements or combinations thereof, continued applied research conducted through partnerships established between academia, government and industry has led to the recent development of practical engineering and design guidelines for such micropile systems. In contrast to a group of directly loaded micropiles, the micropile network relies on a three-dimensional array of reticulated elements to encompass and internally reinforce the soil, resulting in a network or "knot" effect. The potential for enhanced engineering behaviour of reticulated micropile network systems compared to that of a group of micropiles has been continually revealed by numerous researchers in the past. The concept is elementary - the roots of a tree interact with the soil to form a composite foundation capable of performance superior to that of the individual parts. However, given the large number of parameters which must be modelled and studied, experimental assessment and rational analysis of the soil-structure system has been difficult and therefore, in contrast to above, reliable design methods have not yet been forthcoming.

Jan 1, 2003

By Sam Messina

[Project: Job Number: Date: Superintendent: Person Making Inspection: Note: The following checklist shall be used on a regular basis as an overall assessment of the jobsite. The checklist is not all-inclusive. All applicable Federal, State, and local regulations, standards, and ordinances pertinent to the jobsite conditions must be evaluated on a continuous basis. Column A - Adequate Column I ? Inadequate]

Jan 1, 1998