Digital Commons Network^™

Investigation Of Collapse Of An Apartment Building Due To Differential Filling, N. N. Som, R. B. Sahu

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Investigation of collapse of a five storey residential building in Calcutta is described. The failure occurred soon after construction but, fortunately, before occupation. Detailed soil investigation revealed that a bowl-shaped depression, 5. 5 m deep, existed in the collapsed building area which was subsequently filled up. The foundation raft was placed 5.325 m below ground level and the subsequent filling put an overburden pressure of varying magnitude resulting in non-uniform pressure on the subsoil. This was apparently not considered in design. Factor of safety was found to be low against bearing capacity failure and the building tilted towards the heavier …

The Impact Of Rising Ground Water Level On The Geotechnical Behavior Of Soil In Hot Climate Regions, A. S. Stipho

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

The continuous development and industrial changes in Saudi Arabia necessitates large ground water exploitation and brought about significant changes to the ground water regime. The alarming evidence of rising shallow ground water level and the widespread structural problems have mitigate the extra demand to develop special geotechnical awareness, standard testing and designing procedures to minimize the impact of wetting on soil behavior in the hot climate region. Field and laboratory test results on typical soil samples have established the influence of rising moisture and exemplified the adverse levels of collapse manifested by the large reduction in shearing strength and the …

Underpinning And Leveling Settled Pipes And Channel, Steven D. Scherer, Ed Weiner

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Settlement of a new reinforced concrete channel and related pipes was creatively underpinned and raised utilizing steel mini piles and compaction grout pile elements. The conditions that may have caused the settlement are systematically reviewed and details of construction are presented.

Deterministic/Probabilistic Study Of Fault Rupture, D. Cimmings

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

A combined theoretical, deterministic, and probabilistic analysis was applied to a site in Nevada for the purpose of defining the potential for fault rupture through alluvium under a proposed facility. A theoretical model using Theory of Plasticity was used to define the stress trajectories from fault displacement in bedrock through alluvium. A deterministic analysis was used to determine earthquake recurrence and expected magnitudes. A combined total and compound probabilistic analysis was used to assess the likelihood of fault displacement under the facility. The results of these complementary analyses indicated a very low likelihood of fault rupture during the life expectancy …

Use Of Geotechnical Design Summary Report As A Management Tool For Resolving Disputes On Underground Construction Projects, B. M. Ghadiali, T. P. Smirnoff, K. N. Murthy

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

The Los Angeles Metro Rail Subway project is initially planned for 30 km (18 mi) of twin, 6-m (20-ft) diameter bored tunnels under city streets and a total of 16 stations. This paper describes briefly the history of the project, the geologic setting, and the challenges encountered during design or anticipated during construction. It also introduces, as part of contract documentation, an interpretive geotechnical baseline report which establishes the basis for identification and recognition of site condition "baselines". In so doing, this report (known as a "GDSR") has proven to be an effective tool for ameliorating contractual problems and facilitating …

Remediation Of Contaminated Sites — Case Histories, D. D. Genske, H. Klapperich, P. Noll

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

In this paper, two major remediation projects located in the German Ruhr District will be introduced. The key to an effective land re-utilization plan is a harmonized management of ground investigation, risk assessment and clean-up strategies. Geotechnical and hydrogeological techniques, as well as economical risks involved in the recycling of industrial wasteland will be discussed. Criteria which led to the acceptance of certain remediation techniques will be reflected and their validity will be examined. It will be analyzed whether the projected performance objectives have been met and the demands of both, the investors and the environmental protection agencies have been …

Modified Cover System For Hazardous Waste Landfills In Semi-Arid Areas, S. Dutta

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Flawless installation of conventional clay cover system in semi-arid areas is almost an impossibility. Cracks and microfractures in clay cover system leading to high seepage and plume migration has been experienced by many landfills in semi-arid areas. A modified cover system developed by the author at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma is designed to overcome the leakage effect by using manufactured clay liners in combination with a thin cushion of clay layer. Another major disadvantage of the conventional clay cover system is the mounding effect of the cover system and the resulting capture and conversion of the contiguous clean and …

An Analytical Prediction Of Consolidation Settlement Of Fibrous Peat Deposit Under Loading, K. Kogure

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

In one-dimensional consolidation of fibrous peat, it is known that the behavior can not be sufficiently explained by Terzaghi theory. In this study, based on the fact that the pore of fibrous peat consists of macro (outer) pore between organic bodies and micro (inner) pore inside organic bodies, an approximate analytical method for one-dimensional consolidation of fibrous peat is presented. The macro pore consolidation (MAC) resulting from dewatering from the macro pore begins in the first place and the peat collapses to a new void ratio. At the same time, the micro pore consolidation (MIC) resulting from dewatering from the …

Effective Stress Method For Piezocone Evaluation Of SU, P. W. Mayne, B. S. Chen

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

A simple piezocone model combines spherical cavity expansion theory and modified Cam Clay concepts to represent both the corrected cone tip resistance (q_T) and penetration pore water pressure measured behind the tip (u_bt). In closed form, the undrained shear strength (s_u) is shown to be a function of the effective friction angle (φ'), the plastic volumetric strain ratio (Λ), and the piezocone parameter (q_T− u_bt)· Parametric studies show that the model is relatively insensitive to variations in φ' and Λ, thereby simplifying its form for practical use. The method is …

In-Place Stabilization Of Waste Phosphatic Clays Using Lime Columns, B. L. Barnes, L. D. Madrid, W. A. Ericson

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

This paper will present the results of a laboratory testing program and field implementation of the lime column stabilization technique to waste phosphatic clays. Results show increases in clay shear strength by 2 to 3 orders of magnitude and reduce the time of primary consolidation by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude.

Pneusol At The Bussang Pass, G. Esbelin, N. T. Long, P. Ursat

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

The widening of National Road no. 66 at the Bussang Pass in southern Alsace is the first "major" job on a national road using the Pneusol technique, a combination of old tires and soils: 600 m of walls 2 to 7 m high; 55,000 passenger-car tires and 2,000 truck tires (a total of 500 tonnes!). Precious knowledge is gleaned from the diverse conditions of use.

Damage Patterns/Response Of Deep Stiff Clay In Oakland, Joseph I. Sun, Susan W. Chang, Jonathan D. Bray, Lelio H. Mejia

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

The 1985 Mexico City earthquake and the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake provided well-documented evidence of the effect of local ground conditions on site response and damage patterns. Deep soft clay deposits, in particular, were often cited as the "culprit" of amplified ground motions. However, during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, ground accelerations in the downtown Oakland area were amplified by a factor of two to four and a significant number of structures were heavily damaged, despite the fact that much of the area is underlain by deposits of deep stiff clay. A preliminary review of damage patterns in the Oakland …

Design Of Safe Slopes After Failure During An Earthquake, B. V. K. Lavania, A. D. Pandey, A. K. Singh, S. Singhal

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Four slope slides took place, during a major earthquake, on the slopes of hill that has a paper mill complex on its top. The subsoil condition and engineering parameters for the site were evaluated at the time of construction of this complex and again after the earthquake for the purpose of designing safe slopes. However, both times the variation in the numerical values of shear parameters obtained by different tests was very wide and it was difficult to arrive at some conclusion. Therefore, on the basis of failure surface geometries, these was assessed by back analysis and design of safe …

General Report Session No. 14: Geotechnical Aspects Of Recent Earthquakes, Ahmed-W. Elgamal, G. L. Hempen

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Geotechnical Aspects Of The Petrolia Earthquake, Robert K. Green, Thomas L. Sawyer

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

The Petrolia, California earthquake (M_S 6.9, M_L 6.4) occurred on April 25, 1992 and was followed by numerous aftershocks including two earthquakes over magnitude 6 that occurred on April 26, 1992. The earthquakes caused structural damage in Ferndale, Petrolia, Honeydew, Rio Dell, Fortuna, and Scotia. The earthquake also produced ground failures of liquefaction, lateral spreads, and landslides in the epicentral region. Liquefaction did not appear to be widespread, and occurred in locations where it would most likely be expected to occur (low lying areas with very recent alluvial deposits and high ground water). Scattered landslides were triggered by …

Liquefaction During 1988 Earthquakes And A Case Study, M. K. Gupta

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Several parts of north eastern India, Bangladesh and Burma were rocked by an earthquake on August 6, 1988. The author carried out earthquake damage survey due to liquefaction in Assam region. Wide spread liquefaction in the area was observed. Guide bunds and approach roads of a road bridge near Tezpur performed excellently against liquefaction during the earthquake for which they were designed. Another earthquake of magnitude 6.6 visited Nepal Bihar border region which shook northern Bihar and Nepal region and was felt as far as Jaipur in the west and Shillong in the east. Large scale liquefaction has also been …

Liquefaction During The October 12, 1992, Egyptian Dahshure Earthquake, Ahmed-W. Elgamal, Mohamed Amer, Korhan Adalier

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

On October 12, 1992 a moderate earthquake M_B = 5.9 (M_S = 5.2) occurred about 18 km southwest of the center of Cairo and resulted in significant damage to numerous poorly constructed structures. Soil liquefaction associated with the occurrence of large sand-boils was observed close to the epicenter. As a consequence, a main road suffered a maximum settlement of about 1.75 m. In this study, the earthquake characteristics, soil profiles and resulting liquefaction are discussed. The observed liquefaction mechanisms provide valuable information on the seismic response of Nile deposited alluvial soils. Such soils constitute much of the inhabited …

Nonlinear Dynamic Effective-Stress Analysis Of Two Case Histories, S. Inel, W. H. Roth, C. De Rubertis

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Two case histories were analyzed to determine the validity of using nonlinear numerical analysis methods together with simple and familiar descriptions of soil behavior to predict shaking-induced excess pore pressures and permanent deformations within soil. The first case focuses on the prediction of liquefaction during centrifuge testing of a silt layer underlain by sand. The second case involves the prediction of behavior of the Upper San Fernando Dam during the 1971 San Fernando earthquake. Results of both analyses show that consistent and reasonably accurate estimates may be made of the behavior of soil during seismic loading. The relative simplicity of …

Response Analyses Of Recorded Earthquake Motions, S. J. Serhan

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Response analyses of three recorded earthquakes at a nuclear power plant have been conducted. The objective of the response analyses is to obtain frequency composition, assess damage potential, and simulate and explain the recorded soil and structural seismic motions. Two- and three-dimensional models for the soil/structure system have been developed by using the finite-element substructuring method. Results of the analyses show clear evidence of soil/structure interaction in terms of significant soil softening, strong rocking mode participation and unusual recorded high-frequency response inside the buildings.

Response Of House Foundations During The Loma Prieta Earthquake, Gennaro G. Marino

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Significant damage to house foundations has resulted from the Lorna Prieta earthquake. In some cases the cost to repair the foundation and to make the necessary seismic upgrades exceeded the market value of the house. This level of foundation damage was found at various distances from the epicenter and in different geologic settings. Presented in this paper are observations made on the foundation responses to various ground effects from the earthquake shaking. Also pointed out is the difference in performance of various affected foundation systems.

Design And Observation Of Steep Reinforced Embankments, T. Yamanouchi, N. Fukuda

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Using the design method proposed by R. A. Jewell et al. numerous steep reinforced embankments have been constructed in the authors’ home country since the year 1984. In fact these soil structures are built with the reinforcement of polymer grids (the so-called geogrids invented by F. B. Mercer of U.K.) which have a unique structural composition with high-tensile and low-ductility characteristics. This paper deals with first the development of steep reinforced soil structures and their design method, and then introduces a well-documented case history of steep reinforced embankment. The authors propose a current design method developed on the basis of …

Leaning Tower Of Pisa — Updated Information, M. Jamiolkowski, R. Lancellotta, C. Pepe

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

The paper is aimed at giving information on the present situation of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and on the activities undertaken for its safeguard by the International Committee appointed in May 1990 by the Italian Government. After a brief review of the subsoil conditions of the structural features and of the observed movements of the Tower, the activities undertaken by the Committee are also summarized.

Seismic Response Of The Pile Foundation Of Ohba-Ohashi Bridge, George Gazetas, Takashi Tazoh, Katsumi Shimizu, Ke Fan

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

The paper outlines the recorded response to numerous earthquakes of the pile foundation, the supporting soil, and the superstructure of the main pier of a road bridge. The records include free-field accelerograms at the ground surface and the base of the alluvial deposit, accelerograms on the footing and the superstructure, and the bending and axial strain histories at several depths along two of the sixty-four piles. Recently developed methods of seismic analysis are used in interpreting the recorded data. Extensive comparisons are made between theory and measurements. Successes and failures of the theory are discussed. Emphasis is given to the …

Temporal Effects In Multiphoton Ionization Of Lithium, J. Greg Story, Thomas F. Gallagher

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

The temporal effects of multiphoton ionization are investigated using a two-color method which determines both the time and intensity at which the process occurs. We show that the total ionization efficiency depends strongly on the time at which an atom makes a transition to an excited state during an intense laser pulse. This result clearly shows that the ac-Stark-shifted bound-state resonances not only enhance the cross section for photoionization, but that the excited bound states provide temporary storage states for the atomic population during the photoionization process.

Investigation Of Traffic Induced Ground Vibration By Random Process Theory, J. Benčat

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

The ground motion is caused by vibration propagation due to moving vehicles. Ground vibration recorded at a distance from a busy roadway or railway is analyzed assuming it to be a random and statistically stationary function of time. The soil media are characterized as the visco- elastic halfspace. The analytical method for predicting ground vibration has been described. The spectral density of ground vibration for a particular case was calculated and the prediction is validated by experimental measurement.

Dynamic Response Of Block Foundations, Vijay K. Puri, Braja M. Das

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

This paper presents the results of comparison of the computed and observed response of two block foundations made of concrete. The test blocks measuring 3.0m x 1.5m x 0.7m and 1.5m x 0.75m x

0.70m were cast on level ground. The blocks were excited into vertical vibrations using a speed controlled mechanical oscillator. The amplitudes of vibration at different frequencies of excitation were measured in each case using acceleration transducers mounted on appropriate faces of the block. Dynamic shear modulus at this site was also determined b¥ conducting in-situ tests namely the wave propagation test, the cyclic plate load test, …

Dynamic Compaction Test On An Hydraulic Silty Sand Fill, G. Varosio, P. Grimaldi, G. Canepa

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Dynamic compaction resulted to be the most effective method to compact a very loose hydraulic silty sand fill, with a fine content from 25 to 90 per cent. Two levels of compaction energy were tested. The soil settlements enforced by these energies were verified with reference to the concept of saturation energy and by means of a simplified analysis of the physical model.

Correlation Of Foundation Vibration Results, R. A. Slabbaert, J. P. Lee, J. A. Bohinsky

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

The vibration a paper machine generates during normal operation presents a complicated challenge to engineers of paper machine support structures. The modeling and the analysis procedure inevitably involves many simplifications and assumptions. Therefore, a comparison of the calculated and the measured results is very helpful in assessing the validity of the overall approach. This paper discusses correlation of calculated paper machine vibration with actual field measurements for a specific paper machine installation. A force-response analysis was performed using a commonly accepted industry practice which is generally considered to be conservative in several areas. Subsequently, field vibration measurements were made. The …

Behavior Of Braced Sheetpile Excavation In Detroit Clay, H. Abedi, T. G. Porter, B. H. Lien, J. A. Ramos

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

This paper presents the design criteria, finite element modeling and actual behavior of a braced sheetpile excavation in Detroit soft clay. Due to the close proximity of existing structures to the excavation, a detailed analysis was performed to design and construct an earth retention system to avoid damage to these structures. The excavation involved a 170 ft by 220 ft area. The maximum depth of excavation was 23.5 ft. The subsurface soil consists of soft to very soft Detroit clay from the excavation level to a depth of 80 ft and has an undrained shear strength as low as 360 …

Behavior Of Deep Excavations Using Sheet Pile Bracing System In Soft Bangkok Clay, Wanchai Teparaksa

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

The sheet pile bracing system is the most well-known for excavation work in Bangkok soft marine clay. The sheet pile wall which is defined as flexible wall will show a large significant of lateral deformation and ground surface settlement if the excavation system is carried out without a good quality control. The sheet pile bracing system with fully effective preloading strut system was designed for basement excavation of 11.3 m. deep of Bai Yok Tower II. The results indicate that berm width can reduce the maximum sheet pile wall deflection only at the first three stages of excavation. The fully …