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By George W. Little, John Councilman

"The selection, evaluation, and modification of contractor mix designs for self-hardening seepage barriers, completed by the slurry trench excavation method, can be one of the most critical and challenging tasks to ensure the cutoff wall meets the design performance criteria. Contractor mix designs should incorporate all available geotechnical data, including subsurface soil characteristics, groundwater information, and potential site contaminates. However, the pre-construction mix design can have limitations if subsurface data is limited or shows variability from initial investigations. Placement of the seepage barrier material needs to be evaluated during construction to identify in-situ performance. In one particular case study, the self-hardening cutoff wall mix design was evaluated over a one year period followed by a year and a half installation period, in which, a number of adjustments were made to the laboratory mix design during construction due to performance in the field. Installation for the selected mix was monitored on a real-time basis, using quality control data, as well as early strength and permeability results to determine if adjustments to the self-hardening mix were necessary. Evaluation of early results and relationships between strength and permeability were used to make adjustments prior to achieving the final test results for 28-day strength and permeability. Test results of the installed mix illustrated a direct correlation between strength and permeability. Achieving a minimum unconfined compressive strength was necessary to meet the minimum permeability of the seepage barrier. Other determinations conclude that the thorough development of a pre-construction mix design can have limitations even when all geotechnical data and site conditions are taken into account. Understanding early indicators and key strength and permeability relationships are necessary to determine seepage barrier performance and limitations.IntroductionThe evaluation of contractor mix designs for self-hardening seepage barriers was reviewed for one particular case study where a mix was developed using available geotechnical background information, including considerations for impacted groundwater. Following development of the laboratory mix design, the seepage barrier wall was installed over a one and a half year period, where the contractor mix design was evaluated and modified to accommodate field conditions affecting performance. The objective of the project was to cutoff and collect impacted groundwater and prevent the migration of contaminants to the creek running adjacent to the project. The self-hardening seepage barrier wall was installed using the slurry trench excavation method along 4700 ft of alignment and extended to depths ranging from 20 to 85 ft below ground surface, where it tied in with a low permeability stratum or competent bedrock."

Jan 1, 2016

By Armin W. Stuedlein, Steven R. Saye

The differences between calculated axial pile capacity and the capacity realized during and following installation has long presented a significant concern for foundation engineers and contractors. Such differences have increased in prevalence with the increased use of larger diameter steel pipe piles and the significant increase in design-build contracting. The writers present concepts to close the gap between calculated axial pile capacity and the capacity realized during and following installation of driven pile foundations, including: (1) pile set-up in plastic soils, (2) limitation of re-driving of piles after setup which serves to reduce pile capacity, (3) the use of a vibratory hammer to install piles in cohesive soils disturbs the supporting soils and reduces the pile side resistance capacity significantly, and (4) long pile installation times for open-ended piles can damage the pile side resistance. Examples are presented from practice to illustrate these concepts and to guide pile installation planning to recognize the installation impacts and either consider alternate installation approaches or to properly consider the installation impacts during design.

By Jean Wehbe, Daniel C. Brahana

"The new Mercedes-Benz Stadium (MBS), home of the Atlanta Falcons, is part of a new era of stadium construction in the U.S. These new-age stadiums are larger and have more amenities than their predecessors. Many of the MBS’s features, including its innovative retractable roof, result in extraordinary structural loads. The roof structure is supported by a series of mega columns that bear on eight large caps, six of which are supported by drilled piers. Each of the pier caps contains between 8 and 16 drilled piers that bear in the underlying bedrock. The design pier diameters are 6 and 6.5 ft (1.8 m and 1.9 m). Augercast piles were used to support two of the mega column caps. Drilled piers, augercast piles, aggregate piers and spread footings were used to support the more lightly loaded portions of the structure.The focus of this article is the construction aspects of the drilled pier foundations. Initially, a fairly extensive drilled pier load test program was performed. Load testing included a Statnamic compression test, two Osterberg Cell tests and two lateral tests. Production pier installation included over 3,800 linear ft (1,158.2 m) of earth excavation and over 1,350 linear ft (411.4 m) of hard rock excavation. The piers contain more than 6,600 cu yd (4,587.3 cu m) of concrete and 1,100 tons (998 tonnes) of reinforcing steel. Drilled pier installation took about 4.5 months. ABE Enterprises was the specialty foundation subcontractor and Bauer-Pileco was the equipment provider.Site and Subsurface ConditionsThe project site is in downtown Atlanta and was originally occupied by residential buildings. A portion of the site was later developed as a rail yard, and other areas contained light manufacturing, warehouses and other relatively light structures. For the past 15 to 20 years the site had been used for surface parking.Beneath a surficial layer of manmade fill, soil test borings at the site generally encountered residual soil, partially weathered rock and the parent bedrock. The bedrock at the site is highly variable, both in elevation and in hardness/quality. The depth to rock is reasonably uniform within the western two-thirds of the site at about 20 to 50 ft (6 to 15.2 m), with a few exceptions. In the eastern third of the site, the rock drops off dramatically to the north and east. In one mega column cap, there was almost 80 ft (24.3 m) in elevation difference. In two borings in the cap that were 20 ft (6.1 m) apart, the top of rock varied in elevation by 34 ft (10.3 m)"

Jan 1, 2016

By Athena C. Denivo, Pablo V. Lopez, Michael McMaster, Sissy Nikolaou, Alfred H. Brand

"The paper presents the history of development of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) site, focusing on geotechnical, geoseismic, and foundation engineering challenges associated with it. The site is located at the Flushing Meadows Corona Park area of Queens, New York. Now home to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (BJKNTC), the site used to be a biologically rich, tidal salt marsh that extended south from Flushing Bay and overlaid an ancient buried valley. In early 20th century, Brooklyn Ash Co. was contracted to fill the marshland with cinders and furnace ashes. F. Scott Fitzgerald describes the “Valley of Ashes” as “a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke, and finally, with a transcendent effort, of ash-gray men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air.” In 1939 the site was leveled and filled to host the World’s Fair and refilled again for the 1964 World’s Fair.The USTA moved to the site in 1978 and in mid-1990’s constructed the 23,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium (AAS). Currently, USTA has a Strategic Vision Plan venue with several interconnected construction projects including buildings, infrastructure upgrades and improvements to site circulation. In addition to a historical walkthrough, the authors will discuss technical challenges of supporting these developments through layers of fill, thick organic silty plastic clays and regional varved soils with bedrock found 300 to 400 feet deep. The subsurface is not only a weak foundation medium, but is susceptible to large amplification of seismic waves propagating from the bedrock during earthquakes. The developments are usually founded on project-specific pile foundations that carry static loads in deeper layers and accommodate lateral demands and performance objectives. Engineering innovations from the most recent development, the roof structure over AAS, will be discussed."

Jan 1, 2016

By Samer Rabab’ah, John C. Niedzielski, Jason Valeria

The PHX Sky Train is an automated people mover system located at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Phase II of the PHX Sky Train includes the design of over 150 drilled shafts for support of four guideway abutments, 75 guideway piers and three proposed stations. The soil conditions in this area generally consist of alluvial Sand, Gravel and Cobbles (locally known as SGC) deposited by the nearby Salt River. The foundation system will support relatively high axial loads, lateral loads and moments due to the height of the elevated guideway above the ground surface, where it needs to pass over roadways, parking lots, an existing terminal, and other buildings. Deep foundation design involves designing drilled shafts within the SGC deposits, some of which extend below the long-term groundwater table. Such extreme design loading conditions, together with difficult ground conditions at the site, result in several challenges for the design and construction of the deep foundation system for the project. This paper will present the results of a drilled shaft load test program implemented to provide site-specific measurement of the axial and lateral performance of the project drilled shafts. The load testing program consisted of a bi-directional load cell axial load test and a lateral load test performed on an instrumented test shaft 84 inches in diameter. The development and execution of the load test program and analysis of the test results are discussed. Comparisons were developed between predicted load capacities of drilled shafts using different design methodologies and the load capacity measured from the load tests. The load test results showed that underestimation of the capacity is evident using conventional methodologies. The load testing program was important for verifying the performance of the drilled shaft foundations on the project and was used to reduce the size of the drilled shafts. INTRODUCTION The PHX Sky Train is a five-mile long automated people mover system situated at-grade and on an elevated guideway which connects terminals, parking facilities, a rental car center and the Valley Metro Light Rail system in Phoenix. The purpose of this automated train system is to provide a secondary transportation system within the airport to relieve roadway congestion, minimize wait times and travel times for passengers and provide climate-controlled waiting areas. Phase 1 opened to the public on April 8, 2013. Phase 1A opened on December 8, 2014.

Jan 1, 2019

By Sebastian Lobo-Guerrero

Welcome to DFI45! our first on-line annual meeting. We cannot deny the severe impacts that the COVID19 pandemic is having in our industry and our lives. We extend our support to all of our members that have been impacted in many different ways. But through the middle of this difficult and challenging times, our beloved annual conference emerges, trying to re-unite our industry and remind us why we love what we do so much. DFI45 was not originally planned to be delivered virtually, but as our world changed, we adapted. Adversity became an opportunity to re-invent our annual conference. Thanks to the vision of our Organizing Committee, we saw the amazing new possibilities and DFI45 is today a reality. Our theme for this year is People + Purpose + Passion. This theme was decided before the COVID 19 pandemic started, but today it is more relevant than ever before. We are a group of very diverse people at DFI. Our organization includes Contractors, Consultants, Suppliers, and Academics just to name a few sub-groups. But we all have a common purpose and try to find common ground. We are all extremely passionate about what we do, and this excitement is really what makes this organization what it is today. This conference celebrates this passion as you can see in our three main Keynote Sessions. On a local scale, we want to go back and remember the contribution of our industry to our beloved National Monuments in Washington D.C. On a national scale, we want to explore and recap the development of Government Guidelines and Specifications that became the world standards. And finally, we want to close the conference with a session celebrating the family legacy and share amazing stories of families with multiple generations working in our industry. Besides our Keynote Lectures, the conference is full of exciting content such as several case histories, experimental research in deep foundations, applications of new technologies, business aspects and risk management considerations for deep foundations, just to list a few. We also have our now traditional events such as the Hal Hunt Lecture, Awards Reception, DFI Educational Trust 5K Fundraiser, etc. For the first time, all this content will be delivered using different virtual formats, including on-demand presentations, plenary sessions, interactive chat rooms, etc. We are excited about these possibilities. To conclude, we need to recognize the people that against all odds made this conference a reality. First our sponsors, they adapted to the most abrupt change never thought before, and they always stayed there with us, providing unconditional support. Without them no conference is possible. Next, our Organizing Committee that re-invented the concept of an annual conference and found new and exciting ways to make this happen! Our Technical Program Committee led by our Technical Program Chairs, Jennifer Nicks and Gregg Piazza, showed us that nothing is impossible. And last, but not least, the amazing DFI staff that make dreams reality. It has been an honor to serve as the Conference Chair for DFI45. It is an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my career. Conference Chair: Sebastian Lobo Guerrero, Ph.D., P.E. American Geotechnical and Environmental Services (A.G.E.S.)

Oct 27, 2020

By Bastian Hoffmann, Christian Moormann

The paper presents results of an experimental study on the axial load bearing behavior of vibratory driven full displacement piles in comparison with impact driven and cyclic quasi-static installed piles in dense sand. The test setup and the measurement devices used to this end are explained. Subsequently, the results of the axial loading like load settlement curves are shown and the impact of the installation method is interpreted. The results presented in this work are mainly based on three installation methods: test series one investigates axial behavior of vibratory driven piles, test series two describe the same cyclic pile installation process but without dynamic influence wherein a special test setup developed to install the piles cyclic quasi-static in the soil was used. A third test series carried out using the conventional impact pile driving method served the purpose of not only comparing the results against vibratory driving, but also aided in isolating the effects of dynamics inherent to the vibratory driving process.

May 1, 2022

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

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

Oct 1, 2022

By Robert L. Goehring, Fred Munene

This case history for three major additions to a tire manufacturing plant in north Georgia discusses the impact of highly variable Karst (sinkhole) geology on both foundation design and construction. For Phase 3, alternatives were considered for a heavily loaded mixing tower with up to 2,000 kip column loads. A non-traditional approach of using auger cast piles was adopted. To satisfy a risk-averse Owner, a pile load testing program including strain gauges was conducted. One test pile was cored full depth to demonstrate effective bearing on steeply inclined rock. For Phase 4, similar methodology was used at another critical mixing tower structure associated with that phase and the installation procedure was refined to reduce grout take. In Phase 5 construction, another mixing tower and the equipment pits were supported on auger cast piles. After pile installation, a sinkhole opened up between two equipment pits. Remedial grouting was performed. Development also required construction of a R&D building over a 96 inch diameter RCP storm sewer. Auger cast piles were used to support the building to avoid overstressing the existing pipe and risk separating joints. This case history outlines lessons learned while constructing auger cast piles in Karst and proving quality was built into the foundations.

By Frank Rausche

Although Quality Control (QC) during construction is preferable for deep foundations, there are many instances when it is necessary to resort to Quality Assurance (QA) methods if, for various reasons, QC is not possible. Non Destructive Testing (NDT) methods for deep foundations are indirect approaches, i.e. in complex situations they do not provide complete information and need to be augmented by additional testing and/or analyses. While the challenges are varied for the different deep foundation types and the different test methods they are the same in many different countries. Experience of the tester is often mentioned as being most important for a successful quality assurance. In addition, reliable testing equipment for the best possible measurements and complete construction documentation for a meaningful data interpretation are minimum requirements for a successful test outcome. Another problem is the widely varying cost of the QA tests. For that reason the specifying engineer or authority has to be aware of what can reasonably be expected so that technically feasible specifications can be written for optimal cost and minimal construction delays. This paper discusses the most common NDT methods with a view on how these methods are applied world wide. It summarizes features of specifications, recommendations for test procedures and advanced analysis methods which can help to overcome uncertainty in the quality assessment of the foundation. Finally, the authors propose a decision tree for various QA methods, deep foundation types and soil properties.

Jan 1, 2008

By Takefumi Takuma, Hiroyuki Nishimura, Shigeru Kambe

"In order to achieve tubular pile driving with low noise and low vibration, the Press-in Piling Method has been adopted on many projects. The method utilizes reaction force derived primarily from previously driven piles to push in the next pile into ground. With attachments, the Press-in piling equipment can deal with hard soil as well as difficult site conditions. At West Toronto Diamond Rail Grade Separation Project in Toronto, Canada, the Press-in piling equipment drove more than 500 of 914 mm (36 inches) diameter tube piles in length of 12 to 25 meters (39 to 82 feet) to construct earth-retaining walls for railway grade separation. Myoshoji River Restoration Project in Tokyo, Japan drove some 600 of 1,000mm (39.4 inches) diameter tube pipe sections in length of 11 to 22 meters (36 to 72 feet) by the rotary Press-in piling equipment to increase the flood drainage capacity of an existing river in highly populated area of the city. Both projects exemplify the advantages of the method in urban settings.1. BACKGROUNDThe Press-in Piling Method was invented some forty years ago in Japan, where a very large number of construction projects were causing widespread construction pollution, especially by pile driving work in densely populated areas. The method has been providing solutions for piling projects which could not have been built otherwise due to the noise and vibration impact to the surrounding communities. The method can be used with various types of piles including sheet piles, tubular piles, concrete sheet piles and so on. With high pressure water jet and continuous flight auger attachments, the Press-in piling equipment can deal with dense sand, stiff clay, gravels, boulders and even soft rock without employing a different set of equipment."

Jan 1, 2015

By Hayel M. El-Naggar, Mohamed Sobhi, Mamdouh M. Hamza, Marawan M. Shahien

"This paper presents the results of two lateral load tests on large bored piles in soft clay deposit for a major site in northern Egypt. The tests are carried out on 0.8 m diameter piles. One of the tests is carried out on the pile where the clay starts from the ground surface. The other test is carried out on a pile after surface improvement by replacing the top 1.50 m of the clay deposit by compacted granular soil. The results of the tests show the influence of the surface replacement layer on the lateral load versus lateral displacement relationships of the loaded pile. The results of the two tests are used to calibrate a 3D Finite Element Analysis model for the pile. The model is used to investigate the influence of the thickness and lateral extent of the surface replacement layer on the behavior of laterally loaded large bored piles.INTRODUCTIONLateral loads for piles are produced by seismic events, wind, wave action, ship impact, traffic, and land slide forces. The lateral resistance of a pile is controlled by the stiffness and the strength of the material of the pile and the soil surrounding the upper portion of the pile. In most situations, the soil surrounding the upper portion of the pile is too weak to sustain the design lateral loads. Thus there is a need to increase the lateral resistance of the pile or groups of piles. Such an increase may be achieved by either increase number of piles or increase pile diameter. Alternatively, an economic way to increase the lateral resistance is to improve the soil surrounding the upper portion of the pile (Rollins and Brown, 2011; Faro et al., 2015).Ground improvement has the ability to increase the lateral resistance of the pile by increasing the passive resistance of the soil surrounding the upper portion of the pile. The ground improvement techniques have the potential for being more cost-effective and reducing construction time. In spite of this fact, such techniques are rarely implemented in practice. Further, there are relatively few tests or records available in the literature to guide engineers in evaluating the actual effectiveness of this approach. In addition, there is no standard or methodology to aid engineers in designing increase of lateral resistance with surface ground improvement. There are specific improvement methods for each soil type, whether it is loose cohesionless soil or soft cohesive soil and these methods are provided by Michell (1981), Tershai and Juran (2000), ASCE (1997), and Rollins and Brown (2011). Furthermore, there are number of case histories that add a new hole in the sight, such as the cases provided by Brown et al. (1987, 1988), Mokwa and Duncan (2001), Rollins et al. (2005), Rollins and Cole (2006), Cole and Rollins (2006), Rollins, Snyder et al. (2010) , Rollins, Gerber, and Kwon (2010), Rollins and Nasr (2010), and Gerber et al. (2010)."

Jan 1, 2016

By Jason Herron, Joseph Brown

The common couplings for joining sections of helical piles with an outside diameter of 6.625 inches and 8.625 inches are square on square, flange to flange, external pipe sleeve, internal pipe sleeve, and welded joint. Each coupling type has advantages and disadvantages in efficiency, capacity, installation, and economics of the installed pile. All these coupling types have been used in the helical pile market in North America for various applications and designs. Many of these applications require on-site testing, but test records are not typically shared with the helical pile industry. Due to the lack of information available for square on square and flange to flange couplings, testing was done to compare the efficiency of installation, load to deflection response, and torque to capacity ratios of external pipe sleeve, square on square, and flange to flange couplings. Field installations and tension tests were performed in non-cohesive (sand type) soil near Caseyville, IL and in cohesive (clay type) soil in Centralia, MO. The data collected during these tests included rotations per foot during installation, installation torque, applied pressure, and deflection. The results of this testing are analyzed and discussed within this paper. The results indicate that the square to square coupling is the most efficient of the designs tested, but this conclusion cannot be fully justified without further testing due to the variability in the data gathered and the small number of piles tested. INTRODUCTION A helical pile is typically assumed to be a medium-displacement pile when its outside diameter is between 4.5 inches and 8 inches and a high-displacement pile when its outside diameter is greater than 8 inches. A helical pile designer has multiple options when selecting a coupling type for medium- to high-displacement helical piles. Each type of coupling has advantages and disadvantages and must be analyzed on the bases of efficiency, capacity, installation, and economics of a project. Typical couplings that are chosen by designers include square on square, flange to flange, external pipe sleeve, internal pipe sleeve, and welded joint. A helical pile must transfer axial, lateral, bending moment, and torsional loads, and the coupling must be designed to effectively and efficiently transfer each type of load. During the installation of a helical pile, the rate of penetration and the disturbance of soil layers play a critical role in the efficiency and torque to capacity ratio (Kt) of the pile. It is common for a coupling to protrude beyond the outside diameter of the pipe section being used. This is necessary for the function of certain coupling types and can facilitate the connection of couplings. However, it causes increased soil disturbance and reduce the rate of penetration due to soil bearing against the protruding portion of the coupling. A helical pile designer typically will work to minimize the coupling protrusion and create a pile with optimal installation efficiency but may choose a design with lower installation efficiency if it offers sufficient economic advantage.

Jan 1, 2019

By Carlandrea Albonico, Salvatore Miranda

The paper describes an innovative geotechnical engineering solution that has been provided within the scope of the Galataport Project, in Istanbul, Turkey. Among all interesting geotechnical works included in the Project, this paper presents the design principle, adopted technologies and performance controls related to the Multi- Purpose Bottom Plug (MPBP). This original geotechnical engineering solution has been employed for the deep basement excavation in Karaköy and consists of a combination of seepage control, ground improvement, and load bearing elements, which have been executed with double-fluid jet grouting, pseudo-elliptical jet grouting and permanent micropiles, respectively. The paper highlights the importance of employing cutting-edge technologies within the foundation engineering field and state-of-the-art electronic control devices, in parallel with the essential human expertise, in order to obtain the desired results in this high-profile Project.

Nov 1, 2022

By James M. Tantalla, Roderic A. Ellman, W. Allen Marr, Scott R. Bamford

"Construction of the powerhouse for the Willow Island Hydroelectric Project required a 100-ft deep excavation inside the limits of a cofferdam and embankment-seepage cut-off wall through soil and rock adjacent to the Ohio River. Portions of the rock had preexisting weak plans and slickensided surfaces with low frictional strength. Stability analyses were performed for critical sections of the excavation to evaluate the stability of the soil slopes and rock cuts using buckling, tension crack, and limit equilibrium analysis techniques. Loading conditions included the 100-yr and intermediate floods, normal pool, sudden drawdown, and seismic design conditions.Stability analyses indicated adequate factors of safety for soil slopes and for rock cuts through the landside embankment sections. However, the results of deep-seated stability analyses through the rock supporting the riverside cellular cofferdam indicated unacceptable factors of safety. Consequently, the riverside portion of the excavation required measures to increase stability. Long, high-capacity rock anchors and deep dewatering wells to lower the site piezometric head were chosen for this purpose.Thirty high-capacity rock anchors were installed on the upstream, riverside, and downstream sides of the cofferdam rock cut. Required rock anchor loads varied from 1,968 to 2,074 kips. The designed anchors consisted of multiple, seven–wire strands with up to 59 strands per anchor. Bond lengths used an allowable bond stress of 100 psi based on the rock bond measured with pull-out tests. Maximum bond and anchor lengths were 50 ft and 140 ft, respectively. Measurements of forces in selected strands and displacements of the excavation showed excellent performance."

Jan 1, 2017

By Unnikrishnan Nair, Sandeep S. Nikam, Sanjay D. Patil, Prabir C. Basu

"Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) entrusted to implement Monorail Systems in various parts of Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) with the objective to supplement the present transport system in MMR. The stretch of Monorail is starting from Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk (SGMC) and extending up to Chembur Railway Station, divided into 2 phases. Construction of Phase 1 (Chembur to Wadala Depot) is complete and Phase 2 (Wadala Depot to SGMC) is under construction.Monorail runs on prestressed girder (guide beam) of span ranging from 20m to 28m supported on pier founded upon group of end bearing piles embedded in rock, pile group ranging from 2-4 piles of diameter 1000mm each.For the purpose of site characterization, geo-technical investigations were carried out along the alignment of Monorail system as mentioned above. These investigations included field and laboratory tests. The subsurface strata mainly consist of silty sand, gravel, underlain by marine clay extending up to stronger basalt rock with volcanic breccia. Overburden consisting of mainly marine clay ranging from 5.5m to 11m at all locations within the influence zone of settlement.The existing rigid pavement along of Sion-Koliwada and Anik-Wadala were constructed about 5 years prior to the construction of Monorail piers. Before laying the rigid pavement, to improve the geotechnical strength of subsoil (mainly marine clay), ground improvement using stone columns was undertaken by MMRDA. In light of limited right of way, the Monorail piers have been constructed in the median portion of the road. The line became operational on February 2014, in few months it was noticed that, in the vicinity of the Monorail piers, along Sion-Koliwada link and Anik-Wadala link, the Road Pavement Quality Concrete (PQC) panels adjacent to the Monorail piers started showing distress in form of nonuniform settlement of the concrete panels.Effect of pile foundation on pavements/PQC slab distress and possible causes of distress were investigated. Initially the distress was thought to be upheaval of monorail pier cap, but further investigations revealed the same to be soil settlement occurring over time. This paper describes the investigation carried out for identifying the cause of this settlement."

Jan 1, 2015

By Benjamin Jennings, Jason Herron

In the summer of 2016 Xcel Energy experienced a storm event that resulted in the collapse of approximately 8.5 miles of a 345 KV transmission line near Rogers, Minnesota. In design of the new transmission line, Xcel Energy determined that ten tower locations would be replaced with steel H-frame structures supported by helical piles instead of wood H-frame structures supported by driven wooden piles. A steel foundation was proposed for the towers due to time constraints and site conditions unfavorable to large pile driving equipment. Xcel Energy contacted the helical pile manufacturer Hubbell Power Systems, Inc. (HPS) for aid in the design of a complete steel foundation for the structure legs. With the shear, moment, and axial loads provided, the manufacturer used pile group modeling and axial capacity software to design a four helical pile group; and used 3D modeling and finite element software to design a moment resistant grillage to connect to the tower base. The steel grillage utilizes a new moment resistant connection and clamp system to transfer loads from the piles to the grillage. This connection provides a true fixed head condition and reduces lateral deflection issues typical to smaller diameter piles in pinned head connections. The clamp is designed to deform the helical pipe pile shaft and transfer the full axial load of the structure through the mechanical and friction connection. The helical piles and the moment resistant grillage were manufactured with shorter than average lead times and a helical pile installation contractor performed the installation. An expedient plan of install was developed by the contractor that resulted in an average installation rate of one complete set of tower foundations per day. The design of the moment resistant grillage, clamping system, and excellent foundation construction by the contractor provided an expedient and efficient foundation system to be discussed in this paper.

Jan 1, 2017

By Renzo D. Verastegui, T. C. Michael Law, Sitotaw Y. Fantaye, Alfredas Daugiala

"When completed, 520 Park Avenue will amend the Manhattan skyline and be one of the most prestigious high rise towers in New York City. The 52-story condominium building is located on a 60 by 100 feet lot on East 60th Street between Park and Madison Avenues. The geographically complex site is bounded by two fragile 5-story masonry buildings on the east and west, a mid-rise building on the north, and a New York City subway tunnel on the south. To add to this complexity, the ambitious development required 70 to 80 feet of excavation, mostly below groundwater level in highly permeable rock, to accommodate four levels of cellars. The new building also cantilevers 24 feet over a five-story historic building on the east. The limited footprint of the building coupled with large compressive and tensile axial loads, considerable base shear and over-turning moments, and the required deep excavation, presented unique foundation challenges. This paper describes how the challenges were solved with an innovative combination of permanent secant pile walls and drilled shafts.INTRODUCTIONThe project site is located at 45 East 60th Street, on the block bounded by East 61st Street to the north, East 60th Street to the south, Park Avenue to the east, and Madison Avenue to the west. As shown in Fig. 1, the site is surrounded on three sides by buildings sensitive to differential settlement. In addition, a NYCT underground subway structure lies below East 60th Street approximately 13 feet south of the site. The base of the subway structure is approximately 42 feet below the street.The project consisted of constructing a 52-story tall building. A portion of the superstructure cantilevers 24 feet over an adjacent five-story historic building. The underground construction for the new building involved a four-level basement, extending about 60 feet below ground surface. The excavation subgrade is much deeper than both the subway structure and the adjacent shallowly-founded building foundations."

Jan 1, 2016

By Sanjay Gupta, Sorabh Gupta, Ravi Sundaram, Abraham Varghese

"Geotechnical investigation for the Kochi Metro revealed a critical section of the Viaduct near Ernakulam Junction Railway Station. Four piers, located over a 220 m stretch, were passing through an area with substantial thickness of soft clay. The scope of the geotechnical investigation included two boreholes and a static cone penetration test at each pier location. In the boreholes, field vane shear test was conducted at different depths in addition to the routine SPT. The design of heavily loaded piles in such strata is a challenge due to the liquefaction of the shallow sands and negative skin friction / down-drag in the soft under-consolidated clay. Bored cast-in-situ piles of 1500 mm diameter extending to 50-60 m depth were used to carry 500-600 tonnes load.INTRODUCTIONThe first phase of the rapid transit system at Kochi, Kerala (See Fig. 1) whose elevated route spans from Aluva to Thripunithura covers a total distance of about 25 kilometers. One of the more critical sections of the viaduct exists near the Ernakulam Junction Railway station where the alignment takes a sharp curve to move towards Vyttila, crossing the railway tracks and running partially over the approach of South over-bridge.In this section, four piers located on either side of the railway tracks near the Route Relay Cabin of Ernakulam Junction Railway Station pass through an area with substantial thickness of soft underconsolidated clay.The alignment is geotechincally challenging due to the presence of loose liquefiable sand and soft underconsolidated and sensitive clay.Initial investigations by the owner based on limited boreholes only yielded conservative and inconclusive pile capacities. For a thorough understanding of the soil behaviour, a detailed geotechnical investigation was carried out to assess the engineering behaviour of the soil strata.The scope of the geotechnical investigation included two boreholes and a static cone penetration test at each pier location. In the boreholes, field vane shear tests were conducted at different depths in addition to the routine SPT."

Jan 1, 2015

By Venugopal Bonani, Kumaran M., Thomas John

Liquid storage tanks are usually located in nearshore or coastal regions with soil profiles containing thick layers of compressible soils. These storage tanks are usually of large diameter up to 90m and carry high loads, and the tanks are supported by heavy deep foundations such as piles. These structures are subjected to huge lateral loads due to wind and earthquake, and any damage to storage tanks with highly inflammable liquids leads to disastrous condition. So, it is important that the top layer of soil (up to the fixity depth) should be strong enough to provide the required lateral load capacity to the pile. In a project for constructing LNG terminal in Odisha containing 2nos of 89m diameter LNG storage tanks supported with pile foundation located near to coastal region, for improving the lateral capacity of existing soil, the top 3m was replaced with compacted engineered fill (GSB). The site was a filled-up area with dredged soil from seabed, the top 5m-10m were soft to medium stiff clay with SPT N less than 10. The lateral design load on pile was 534kN under free head condition. Actual lateral capacity for the strata was around 200kN under free head condition which was less than required capacity as per structural requirements. Therefore, for improving the lateral capacity of pile the top 3m soil is replaced with well compacted engineered fill (GSB) in layers of 150mm and the capacity is proved by conducting initial and routine lateral load tests. This paper describes the properties of the engineered fill used and how the lateral load capacity of pile was improved to meet the design requirement.

Sep 1, 2022