Geotechnical Engineering Commons^™

Geotechnical Issues In Structural Stabilization Of Historical Monument — Clock Tower, Vlatko Sesov, Julijana Cvetanovska, Kemal Edip

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Being located in the central Balkan region, the territory of the Republic of Macedonia has a significant historical heritage. The clock tower in city of Prilep, central Macedonia, dates back to the 19th century. With its total height of almost 30 m, it is one of the most remarkable monuments. During its serviceability period, the clock tower has suffered some moderate inclination. The presented study has been focused on geotechnical issues as part of a structural consolidation project for this important historical structure. In the last decade, in the period between 1998 – 2009, an inclination of 39mm was observed …

Investigating The Performance Of Ground Anchor Through The Failure Slope Disaster In Taiwan, Ching-Jiang Jeng, Yen-Cheng Chen

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

At milestone 3.1 km of the Formosa Freeway in northern Taiwan, a landslide occurred on April 25, 2000, causing nearly 200,000 m³ of earth and rock to slump down onto the freeway below. Four people trapped in cars beneath the collapsed slope died. How such a tremendous slope failure could happen in dry weather without advanced warning is attributed to two key factors: (1) Long-term groundwater infiltration resulting in the softening of thin interlayer between sandstone and shale; (2) Ground anchor corrosion resulting in a decrease in slope stability. Together these two factors caused the slope to reach a …

Lessons Learned From The Disaster At Lippe Canal Bridge, Markus Herten, Eva Dornecker

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

In October 2005, during construction works at the new Lippe canal bridge, massive water leakage from the Dortmund-Ems-Canal occurred below a wing wall at the northern abutment of the old, still operated canal bridge. Water passed through a leak of the claylined canal, flowing underneath a pile-supported wing wall into a minor excavation pit. This excavation pit was supposed to be protected by a surcharge filter. Since failure of the lining should be considered for all construction phases, it cannot be regarded as the cause of the disaster. Consequently, the paper focuses on the verification against hydraulic heave and erosion …

Foundation Treatment Of Embankment Dams With Combination Of Consolidation And Compaction Groutings, Fardin Jafarzadeh, Amir Akbari Garakani

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Treatment of soft or weak foundation in a rockfill dam is of importance due to being susceptible to the large settlements, which may cause the dam body subjected to undesirable deformations and even, catastrophic failures. In this paper the stress- strain behavior of an under construction 58 m embankment dam in North-West of Iran, namely Gerdebin dam, and its soft and weak alluvial thick foundation has been assessed numerically. The effect of combination of consolidation and compaction grouting of the basement (as a remediation method) on the dam deformations and stress levels, is investigated. For this purpose, a finite difference …

The Influence Of Freeze-Thaw Cycles On Cbr Values Of Silty Soils Stabilized With Lime And Microsilica, Reza Ziaie Moayed, Younes Daghigh, Behzad Pourhadi Lahiji

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

The use of byproducts of industrial materials is one the most interesting areas in geotechnical engineering in recent years. Microsilica is one of these harmful byproducts that obtained from silicon or silicon alloy metal factories. On the other hand, silty soils are not considered as suitable soils due to their low strength characteristics. In this research, the effects of lime and microsilica on stabilization of silty bed soil of a region of Karaj railway are investigated and its efficiency as a subgrade material is evaluated. To determine the best combination of the stabilizer, various contents of lime and microsilica are …

High-Risk Flood Control Dams On Difficult Soil Foundations, Gary S. Chow, Lori K. Thomas, Willis Walker

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Addicks and Barker Dams are two flood risk management structures owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and recently classified as extremely high risk. These dams were built in the 1940’s in west Houston, Texas, upstream of a densely populated metropolitan area. The dams consist of 11 and 13 miles of rolled earth embankments, outlet structures with five barrel conduits, and uncontrolled spillways at both ends of both dams. The original design of both dams provided for four of the five outlet conduit barrels to be ungated, permitting a combined uncontrolled discharge from both dams of …

Highway Section Affected By Two Neighboring Landslides – Performance, Monitoring And Design Of Stabilization Measures, Vassilis Houssiadas, Eleni Sakoumpenta, Manolis Haralambakis

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Two separate deep-seated, creeping landslides exist in close proximity in a mountainous area with highly heterogeneous geological and geotechnical conditions. The ground movements are measured at a depth greater than 50m and affect 65m-high G4 embankment and 240m-long S3 tunnel that are under traffic since 2004. The first landslide affecting the embankment initiated shortly after completion of construction in an area where the highway was realigned after an old, pre-existing unstable area was identified during the design. Tunnel S3, about 300m to the east of embankment G4, suffered from slope instability during construction. This was successfully dealt with and the …

Liquefaction Potential Evaluation: Energy-Based Method Compared To Stress-Based Method, Takaji Kokusho

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

A data set of undrained cyclic triaxial test with parametrically changing relative density and fines content is reviewed and interpreted in the scope of energy. It is found that the strain amplitude or pore-pressure buildup during cyclic loading is uniquely related to the energy dissipated in soil specimens. This further indicates that a R_L (cyclic stress ratio)-N_c (number of cycles) line corresponding to specific soil strain represents a line of equal dissipated energy. An energy-based method (EBM) is proposed in which liquefaction potential can be evaluated by comparing the dissipated energy with upward seismic wave energy with no …

Study Of Seismic Wave Propagation In Anisotropic Magnetoelastic Structure With A Point Source, Amares Chattopadhyay, Sanjeev A. Sahu

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

We aim to study the effect of point source on the propagation of horizontally polarised shear wave in a magnetoelastic self-reinforced layer lying over a heterogeneous self-reinforced half-space. The heterogeneity in the half-space has been considered due to quadratic variation in rigidity. Using the Green’s function method based on algebraic transformations, we have obtained the relation showing the dependence of phase velocity of the shear wave. The solution part of the problem involves the perturbation approach. The dispersion curves have been obtained for different values of magnetoelastic and inhomogeneity parameters. It is observed that the dispersion equation is in assertion …

Ground Improvement For The Smithland Hydroelectric Project, Thomas Andrews, Lin Zhao, Luling Yang, Abid Mirza

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

American Municipal Power is developing the Smithland Hydroelectric Project adjacent to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ existing Smithland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River. The site geology is characterized by over 100 feet of variable alluvial deposits overlying karstic limestone. The investigation program revealed loose to medium dense sands and sandy gravels along with some interbedded clay. Large voids were encountered in rock and ground loss into solution features was believed to have created ‘chimneys’ of loosened soil. A project-specific seismic hazard evaluation determined that the maximum credible earthquake (MCE) is a 7.5M event associated with the New …

Seismic Hazard Assessment And Design Ground Motion: Lessons Learned From Recent Earthquakes, Zhenming Wang

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Recent earthquakes, the 2008 Wenchuan, 2009 L’Aquila, 2010 Haiti, and 2011 Christchurch and Japan in particular, have called attention to the probabilistic seismic hazard maps, particularly the ground motions with 10, 5, and 2 percent probabilities of exceedance in 50 years. As discussed in this paper, these ground motions are artifacts because they were produced from probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA). PSHA is a mathematical formulation derived from a rigorous probability analysis of the distribution of earthquake magnitudes, locations, and ground-motion attenuation. Some of the assumptions and distributions that PSHA is based on have been found to be invalid in …

Geotechnical And Geophysical Evaluation Of The Near Surface Faults And Cracks In Residential Area Underlain By Semi-Arid Shale, Khaled Al-Mutairi, Muawia Dafalla, Fouzan Al Fouzan, Mosleh Al-Shamrani

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

This study was carried out following the development of abnormal faults and distresses that extend over more than two kilometers distance in an agricultural rural area to the North of Saudi Arabia. They appeared on the ground surface in the form of extended wide cracks and appeared across buildings, roads and green areas. Severe damages were inflicted to the existing structures and included cracks within the streets, the buildings and boundary walls. Geotechnical works carried out included advancing six boreholes to depths of 35 to 40 meters below grade. The subsurface soil profile was constructed and laboratory tests were carried …

Evaluation Of Timber Pile Supported Marine Piers, Ram D. Singh

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

River piers were constructed during the later part of 19th and early part of 20th centuries to handle increased marine freight traffic in the coastal regions of the United States. The sub-structure of these piers, commonly referred to as “finger-piers”, was usually constructed with a timber deck relieving- platform supported by timber piles. These platforms were used to support either earth-fill and/or concrete arch supports, which in turn provided structural support for the main floor. Most of the piers also had superstructures, usually truss-supported roof with columns, and a railroad siding. Many existing piers on the Delaware River in Philadelphia …

The Evolution Of Deep Foundation Quality Management Techniques In The United States, Bernard H. Hertlein

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

The development and acceptance of quality control and assurance techniques for deep foundations in the United States is a relatively recent phenomenon, and one whose progress can be attributed to a handful of key individuals who first recognized the early promise of these methods, and worked diligently to validate them. The judicious use of nondestructive testing combined with various methods of full-scale load testing has been a major factor in the growth of the drilled shaft and augered, cast-in-place pile industry, by simultaneously allowing engineers to assess and adjust design assumptions, and allowing contractors to improve construction techniques and equipment. …

Machine Foundation Design: Experimental And Analytical Soil Structure Interaction, M. Hesham El Naggar

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

A comprehensive dynamic testing program has been undertaken to establish the dynamic characteristics of existing fan foundations in order to evaluate their suitability to support new variable speed fans. The dynamic testing program encompassed two sets of tests: pull tests and steady-state vibration test. In addition, dynamic soil-structure interaction analyses were performed to evaluate the response of the foundation to the dynamic operating loads of the new fans.

Long-Term Effects Of Earthquake-Induced Slope Failures, Ikuo Towhata

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

The earthquake-induced slope failures are now attracting significant concerns among experts of landslides. The reason for this is the complicated causative mechanisms as well as its impact on communities. The present paper states moreover that the onset of seismic slope failure is not only the consequence of a natural disaster but also the beginning of a long-term disaster in which the compound effects of the preceding earthquakes and the following heavy rain falls play significant roles. After addressing cases of this kind of natural disaster together with their classifications, study is made of the material properties of rocks subjected to …

Phytoforensics: Soil And Groundwater Sampling Without Soil Or Groundwater!, Joel G. Burken, Kendra M. Waltermire

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Plants directly interact with surrounding water, air, and soil, collecting and storing chemicals and elements from the surrounding environment. Tree coring methods have shown that groundwater contamination can be assessed without directly sampling the groundwater. In this work, two new and innovative sampling methods that place sampling devices inside the plant, i.e. “in-planta”, were developed to access this valuable data that can direct and perhaps replace traditional methods for contaminated-site investigations. Traditional site assessments may be limited due to time, site access, and expense, resulting in incomplete understanding of the contaminated plumes and inefficient remedial approaches. The new techniques presented …

Ground Engineering For The Autoroute 30 Ppp Project, Montréal Canada, Chris Barker, Alan Phear, Romeo Ciubotariu, Robert Talby, Paul Quigley, Richard Deakin, Andrew Cushing

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

At CAD $1.54B, the Nouvelle Autoroute 30 project is the largest and second Public Private Partnership (PPP) transportation project procured in the province of Québec, Canada. It will operate as a tolled two-lane 42km divided highway with 31 bridges including two major bridge crossings of the St Lawrence River and Beauharnois Canal and a short tunnel. The project is located approximately 30km south-west from downtown Montréal and will relieve traffic congestion on Montréal Island by providing the final section of an alternative southern bypass route. The project is located in a seismic cold climate region and is underlain by deep …

Indot Qc/Qa Earthwork And Intelligent Compaction Us 31/Us 35 At Kokomo, Kurt Sommer

Purdue Road School

This presentation discusses a 2012 case study using QC/QA Earthwork Specifications and Intelligent Compaction Rollers for soils.

INDOT Contract IR-30111 in Greenfield District on US 31/ US 35 at Kokomo used this process in 2012 and continuing into 2013 for the control and acceptance of approximately 1 million cubic yards of earthwork.

Chemical Compatibility Of Model Soil-Bentonite Backfill Containing Multiswellable Bentonite, Michael A. Malusis, Matthew D. Mckeehan

Faculty Journal Articles

The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical compatibility of model soil-bentonite backfills containing multiswellable bentonite (MSB) relative to that of similar backfills containing untreated sodium (Na) bentonite or a commercially available, contaminant resistant bentonite (SW101). Flexible-wall tests were conducted on consolidated backfill specimens (effective stress =34.5 kPa) containing clean sand and 4.5–5.7% bentonite (by dry weight) using tap water and calcium chloride (CaCl2) solutions (10–1,000 mM) as the permeant liquids. Final values of hydraulic conductivity (k) and intrinsic permeability (K) to the CaCl2 solutions were determined after achieving both short-term termination criteria as …