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By Gilbert Chuah, Peter Middendorp, Joost Bakker, Soon-Hoe Chew

"The Rapid Load Testing (RLT) of foundation piles has been applied worldwide since 1984. Several International and national codes are available, such as the Japanese Code of Practice (2002), ASTM D7383-2010, German recommendation on Piling (2012) and Eurocode (2015). RLT methods like Statnamic and StatRapid are gaining popularity in Asia, Europe and North America. For checking the performance of piles, they are more economical, faster and environmentally friendly than Static Load Testing (SLT), while yielding good correlations with SLT results through an objective analysis method. To date (October 2016) hundreds of piles have been successfully tested by RLT method in Singapore. A number of these RLT tests were coupled with static load testing correlation tests, some of them with instrumentation for shaft load transferred. Examples of some correlation results for foundations installed in various geological formations in Singapore are presented in the paper. The findings from these results indicate that loading rate effects are negligible for Rapid Load Test results when foundations are socketed in competent non-cohesive soil layers and derive most of their capacity from these soil layers.INTRODUCTIONRapid Load Testing (RLT), by which a quasi-static load is applied to a foundation pile, is used increasingly as an alternative to Static Load Testing (SLT) for cast in-situ piles, such as drilled shafts or bored piles. It is recognized nowadays that the determination of the pile capacity with Dynamic Load Testing (DLT) through signal matching techniques such as CAPWAP, TNOWAVE and AllWave-DLT, yield a wide spread of results for cast in-situ piles (Stahlmann et. al, 2012), making it practically very difficult, if not impossible to calibrate the DLT results with SLT results. This spread is due to the empirical and subjective assumptions that are used to interpret the test data, especially for cast insitu piles (Holeyman et al. 2001, Viana da Fonseca in 2008, Herten et al, 2013). This is further complicated by the inhomogeneity of the concrete and variable cross-sections over the pile length for the cast in-situ piles."

Jan 1, 1900

By Dan Brown

Improvements in construction equipment and techniques in recent years have made possible the use of drilled shaft foundations in diameters and lengths not previously considered practical or feasible. Many highway bridge and other structures are now routinely founded on drilled shafts which -are 8 to 12 feet in diameter and extending over 200 feet in depth below grade. There are unique challenges associated with constructing such large and deep cast-In-place foundations and engineers should be aware of the special needs associated with site investigation, construction specifications, material requirements, and quality assurance. This paper outlines a number of special considerations for these foundations, along with strategies that may be employed to improve the reliability and quality of large drilled shaft foundations.

May 11, 2007

By Mohammad Ali Rowshanzamir, Mehdi Aghayarzadeh

"This article is an effort to improve our understanding of the performance of geogrid retaining structures (GRS) through numerical analyses. The numerical modeling utilized a commercially available finite difference program, FLAC3D. In this context an extensive parametric study has been carried out on two different GRS walls (vertical reinforced block and inclined reinforced block) to investigate the influence of internal design factors such as soil strength properties and reinforcement stiffness on the performance of these walls. The main purposes of the parametric study were to (1) investigate the sensitivity of the modeling results to the input material properties, (2) examine the influence of the internal design factors on the performance of GRS retaining structures, and (3) improve the internal design of GRS walls on the basis of the working stress information obtained from the parametric study. Based on the analyses results, it was revealed that GRS walls with oblique reinforcement and reinforced block (rotated against natural backfill) have much better performance in terms of reduction in the stresses and strains of reinforcing elements as well as decrease in the wall lateral and vertical displacements in comparison with vertical reinforced block (conventional wall). For example, with 12° inclination of the wall reinforced block there was 50% reduction in the backfill settlement. Also increasing the reinforcement stiffness amount from 10MPa to 50MPa decreases the wall face displacement more than 50% in both GRS walls.INTRODUCTIONOver the past few decades, Geosynthetic- Reinforced Soil (GRS), a soil mass reinforced by geosynthetic layers to restrain the soil lateral deformations, has been employed in the construction of many types of earth structures, including retaining walls, embankments, slopes and bridge abutments. In fact GRS structures are typically more flexible (hence more tolerant to differential settlement), more adaptable to low quality backfill, easier to construct, require less over-excavation, and more economical. Nevertheless, there is a need for an accurate design tool that can predict the performance of GRS structures under working stress conditions and can predict their failure loads as well.Many studies have been published on the performance of the soil reinforced walls such as Isabel et al., 1996; Bathurst et al., 2000; Kazimierowicz-Frankowska, 2005; Nernheim and Bathurst, 2008; Chen and Chiu, 2008 Correia et al., 2012; Erlich et al. 2012. Several numerical studies have also been made throgh finite elements and finite difference techniques on reinforced soil retaining walls to analyze the wall deformations (e.g. Hatami et al. 2001& 2006, Liu and Won 2009, and Abdelouhab et al. 2011). A limited laboratory research has been reported indicating of improving effect of tilting face on GRW performance (Chen and Chiu, 2008). However no major numerical study was found on the effects of face or reinforcement tilting."

Jan 1, 2017

By Dan Yang

Pile foundation designs are performed routinely based on geotechnical information available at the time of design, often with due consideration of large uncertainties inherent to soils and site conditions. These uncertainties frequently are the causes of piles being installed not the same as those designed, especially by factors beyond quality assurance and quality control. With a variety of both satisfactory and unsatisfactory pile test results from these nonconforming piles, the design engineers are required to examine the foundation performance as a whole against the project design requirements before signing off on them or calling for potentially costly remediation. Over the years, as-built analysis has been a consistent way of dealing with pile non-conformity and damage in our practice, avoiding many construction delays and it is an integral part of our pile foundation design. In this paper, the key elements of an as-built analysis along with several major bridge projects are presented.

Jan 1, 2010

By Chu E. Ho

This paper describes a case history involving the use of the Equivalent Driving Energy concept for evaluating timber piles that failed to achieve the termination criterion traditionally based on final driving resistance and minimum pile depth. It was assumed that a pile would be acceptable if the overall energy delivered during pile driving was at least equal to that of an ideal pile that achieved the design pile capacity established during an initial load test. The equivalent driving energy was determined by integrating the cumulative driving resistance profile over the embedded length of the pile within the founding soil strata. The required equivalent driving energy was calibrated using representative restrike PDA capacities of production piles as piling progressed. This approach enabled piles that failed to meet the original acceptance criterion to be re-evaluated, resulting in a significant reduction in the number of rejected piles that would otherwise have to be replaced.

By Partha Sircar

"For Berth 22 modifications at the Port of Oakland, nearly 600 octagonal 24-inch ‘diameter’ precast-prestressed concrete piles were driven, some piles over 160 feet long. Prior to production pile driving, an indicator/test pile program was performed, which included extensive use of dynamic load testing with (Pile Driving Analyzer (PDA) & CAPWAP analyses. The indicator test-pile program resulted in requiring significantly longer piles than the original design based on subsurface borings. The cause of this discrepancy is investigated in light of the available geotechnical information, soil mechanics principles and standard techniques for pile capacity computations. Several interesting phenomena emerged. These include relatively low resistances offered by crushed rockfill than would conventionally be assumed, non-homogeneity of an apparently uniform formation and the effects of jetting on pile side friction. Also revealing was the significant increase in capacity between 1 and 3 weeks of driving for long piles in clay. Recommendations were developed for pile capacity for future use as “lessons learned”.IntroductionThe foundation for the replaced Berth 22 structure at the Port of Oakland in California involved driving approximately 570, 24-inch octagonal precast prestressed concrete piles. A plan and a section for the pile locations are presented in Figure 1.The ultimate loads on the piles used in the design are presented in Table 1 – the loads are quite heavy.The foundation design was followed by an extensive Indicator Pile Program. The contractors (Manson Construction Co. of Richmond, California) opted to use a Delmag D62-02 diesel hammer (Rated Maximum Energy – 165 kip-feet). Per the project specifications, the same hammer was used for both indicator and production pile driving. The production piles of appropriate lengths were ordered based on thr results of the Indicator Pile Program. A number of interesting results were found from the Indicator Program, which is discussed in this paper."

Jan 1, 2015

By Joe Harris

Large structures, such as a multistory office building or a large storage tank, are constructed the most economical way possible, which may involve a shallow foundation system placed on native soil or compacted fill material. Over the life of the structure, the foundation system may not perform as originally anticipated, leading to differential settlement. Minor differ- ential settlement is expected; however, settlement that exceeds allotted tolerance can render the structure inoperable. Compaction grouting is a well-known and accepted ground improvement technique that can be used to not only stabilize but relevel multistory buildings and large dia- meter storage tanks. Two projects, each with differing types of structures, were successfully remediated utilizing com- paction grouting as the primary method to remedy settlement.

Sep 1, 2023

By Tracy Brettmann, Melis Sutman, C. Guney Olgen

"The use of energy piles for geothermal heat exchange has been steadily increasing during the last decade, yet there are still pending questions on their behavior during temperature changes. This paper focuses on the thermo-mechanical response of three full-scale energy piles installed in Richmond, TX. The behavior of test piles subjected to thermo-mechanical loadings was studied in situ with the aim of quantifying the thermal influence on the performance and capacity of energy piles. An extensive field test program, including conventional pile loading tests and application of heating-cooling cycles was conducted on the test piles during a period of six weeks. For thermal load applications, the heat exchanger fluid with maximum temperature of 113°F (45°C) and minimum of 47°F (8°C) was circulated in the geothermal loops placed at the center of the test piles. Optical fiber sensors, vibrating wire strain gages, thermistors and thermal integrity profile wires were installed to monitor the strain and temperature variations along the energy piles throughout the field tests. The strain and temperature profiles during heating-cooling cycles on the test piles under static loads and without a maintained load were monitored to investigate the effect of thermo-mechanical and pure thermal loads on the energy piles, respectively. Conventional pile load tests were applied before and after the application of thermal cycles. The results of the pile load tests are compared to evaluate the effect of temperature cycles on pile capacity.IntroductionEnergy piles are deep foundation elements designed to access and exploit the relatively constant temperature of the ground and its heat storage capacity for efficient heating and cooling of buildings. The deep foundation elements that are already in place for structural support are integrated with adsorber pipes to perform as heat exchangers connected to ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems. With the use of energy piles, the heat energy is fed into and withdrawn from the ground for cooling in the summer and heating in the winter, respectively.Energy piles present an innovative way to harvest near-surface geothermal energy and to provide lower carbon emissions, however, there are still pending question on their performance. During heating-cooling cycles, energy piles experience temperature changes, which result in expansion or contraction of the piles."

Jan 1, 2017

By Nabil F. Ismael, Khalid Farraj

"The axial load transfer along large diameter bored piles in very dense silty sand was examined by field tests. Two instrumented piles 1.2 m diameter and with embedded length of 18 m and 25 m were load tested in axial compression to failure in connection with the construction of a big tower building in Kuwait City, Kuwait. Instrumentation included vibrating wire strain gages at various levels, displacement transducers and extensometers. The purpose being to measure the axial load distribution, skin friction, and base resistance at various load levels. In addition the settlement of the piles and the elastic compression were monitored. The ultimate pile capacity, side friction, and base resistance were determined and correlated with the Standard Penetration Resistance values as determined from the boreholes. Most of the load was transferred as side friction and the pile settlements at the maximum loads ranged from 1.6% to 2.2% of the pile diameter.INTRODUCTIONLarge diameter bored piles are used with increasing frequency for heavy structures in Kuwait and the Gulf region in calcareous sand. The behavior of short piles ranging in depth from 8 m to 15 m was examined by field test (Ismael 2012). However, larger diameter and deeper piles are being used more frequently, including the project described in this paper which included piles with 1.2 m diameter and 18 m to 25 m depth. The design of these piles requires knowledge of the skin friction and point resistance in these soils. While field tests on driven piles are available (Ismael 1989, Ismael 1999), field test data on long large diameter piles installed through very dense sands or silty sands are very limited at present. The results of two load tests carried out recently on instrumented bored piles at one site in downtown Kuwait City have become available. In these tests the failure load was extrapolated from the test results. It is important to examine and analyze the test results for the benefit of the geotechnical research and design engineers."

Jan 1, 2017

By Tu Bao

HP-Pile foundations are the most favorable type of foundations for bridges because of their constructability, versatility with regard to subsoil conditions, and settlement controllability. For many years, bridge engineers have puzzled over the most economical way to orient HP-Piles: Should the strong axis be oriented in the longitudinal direction or in the transverse direction? The accurate design of foundations may considerably reduce construction costs. In order to answer this question, 3-D finite element models will be set up to analyze the effects of pile orientation on bridge behavior. Because seismic loading usually controls the structural design in seismic zones, it is important to investigate the effects of pile orientation under such loading. HP-Piles are designed conservatively due to the uncertainty of the dynamic soil-structure interaction during earthquakes. For the bridge substructure, the soil?s stiffness plays an important role in load distribution as the soil and piles act as a combined system to resist the seismic loading. The dynamic soil-structure interaction mechanisms of bridges in both the longitudinal and the transverse directions will be investigated through the use of 3-D finite element models. The numerical models will realistically simulate the soil-pile-abutment-wingwall-superstructure system subjected to seismic loads. Nonlinear soil springs will be employed to model the non-elastic soil behavior. The analysis will provide theoretical support to the design practice. KEYWORDS: HP driven piles, finite element, pile orientation, soil-structure interaction

By Andrew Rietz, Yu Bao, Steven Halewski

"HP-Pile foundations are the most favorable type of foundations for bridges because of their constructability, versatility with regard to subsoil conditions, and settlement controllability. For many years, bridge engineers have puzzled over the most economical way to orient HP-Piles: Should the strong axis be oriented in the longitudinal direction or in the transverse direction? The accurate design of foundations may considerably reduce construction costs. In order to answer this question, 3-D finite element models will be set up to analyze the effects of pile orientation on bridge behavior. Because seismic loading usually controls the structural design in seismic zones, it is important to investigate the effects of pile orientation under such loading. HP-Piles are designed conservatively due to the uncertainty of the dynamic soil-structure interaction during earthquakes. For the bridge substructure, the soil’s stiffness plays an important role in load distribution as the soil and piles act as a combined system to resist the seismic loading. The dynamic soil-structure interaction mechanisms of bridges in both the longitudinal and the transverse directions will be investigated through the use of 3-D finite element models. The numerical models will realistically simulate the soil-pileabutment- wingwall-superstructure system subjected to seismic loads. Nonlinear soil springs will be employed to model the non-elastic soil behavior. The analysis will provide theoretical support to the design practice.IntroductionAs sustainability has asserted itself in the public’s eye, bridge professionals have rushed to develop criteria for sustainable bridges. The three main categories that define and distinguish sustainable bridges are: lower energy input, increased durability, and simplified deconstruction. By optimizing the structural members, the engineer is able to reduce the material quantities for the bridge, effectively reducing the energy input for the bridge (Hunt; Whittemore). A deeper understanding of soilfoundation- structure mechanism will facilitate sustainable bridge design by lowering energy input and increasing the service life of bridges (Rietz et al.)."

Jan 1, 2017

By Satyajit Vaidya, Rudolph Frizzi, Quadri Owokoniran

"This paper presents a case history in the design and construction of high-capacity drilled shafts for the iconic New York Wheel presently being constructed along the St. George area waterfront in northern Staten Island, New York. Although the site is located in an area that offers views of the Statue of Liberty, the Manhattan skyline, and New York Harbor, the variable and challenging subsurface conditions at the site and the structural loading requirements for Wheel erection and service conditions presented geotechnical design and construction challenges. The paper focuses on site and subsurface conditions, drilled shaft design and construction details, results of Osterberg-cell and lateral load testing, and load test data analysis and evaluation.PROJECT DESCRIPTIONThe proposed 630-foot (190 m) -tall New York Wheel (the Wheel) is projected to be one of the tallest observation wheels in the world. Upon completion, the Wheel will be capable of carrying over 1,400 passengers in its 36 capsules. The Wheel site is located along New York Harbor offering views of the Statue of Liberty, the Manhattan skyline, and the New York Harbor; see Fig. 1. The Wheel structure is sited along the waterfront, and served by a 3-story terminal located south of the Wheel in the eastern portion of the site and having a footprint area of about 34,250 sq-ft (3,180 sq-m). A 4-story parking Garage, with a footprint of about 112,840 sq-ft (10,480 sqm), is to be constructed south of the Wheel in the central and western portions of the site.SITE AND SUBSURFACE CONDITIONSThe site’s close proximity to the New York Harbor presented geotechnical challenges because the site is located in an area that was once beyond the historic shoreline of Staten Island. The site is an about 350,000-sq-ft (32,500-sq-m) parcel generally bounded by the Richmond County Bank Ballpark to the southeast, the 9-11 Memorial to the east, Bank Street to the north and northeast, and Richmond Terrace and an associated retaining wall to the southwest and south. A 50-ft (15-m) -wide New York City Transit Easement, with an active on-grade service area and tracks, is located in the southern portion of the site. See Fig. 2 for site location and approximate location of the Wheel foundation footprint."

Jan 1, 2016

By Melinda J. Hummel, Zachary T. Smith, Nathaniel Witter, Nina F. Carney

The revitalization of Pittsburgh’s historic Strip District has led to the redevelopment of existing properties and the development of new properties. At one time, the Strip was home to wholesale market products. Now, the historical warehouse buildings are being converted to multi-use residential and commercial properties. One such property, 1600 Smallman Street, consisted of 1 to 6-story connected buildings that housed night clubs, retail shops, and office space. The lower story portion of the building, on the southwest side of the property, was torn down to make room for a new 5-story- parking garage with street level retail space. The remaining 6-story-building, on the northeast, was gutted to be renovated into high-end condominiums, keeping the exterior historical building facade.

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 Chris Normand, Paul Volpe, Eric Wey, Howard Perko, Burt Ogilvie, Patrick Murray

"A refinery expansion project for Marathon Petroleum Company in Southern Louisiana required existing medium to large pipe racks to be expanded for additional capacity. Foundation modifications were necessary in order to add levels to the existing pipe racks. New piles were added and existing pile cap foundations were expanded. Several different pile types were considered. Custom designed large diameter helical piles were chosen, because they can be installed quickly with low overhead restrictions, produce minimal soil spoils, and are cost effective. The load capacity required for piles was higher than typical, off-the-shelf helical piles. In particular, the lateral load capacity demand was high due to wind loads of a hurricane prone region. Methods used to design and size helical piles are summarized including capacity to torque ratio estimation for composite helical piles. Pile load testing was performed in order to confirm design capacities of the helical piles under axial and lateral loading. Measured axial and lateral deflections compared well with predicted values. This case history evaluates the effectiveness of modern helical pile design methods within the context of a real and practical example.INTRODUCTIONAs the capacity of modern installation equipment increases, large-diameter helical piles are being used to support higher loads in more diverse applications. Currently, large-diameter high-capacity helical piles are used for electrical power transmission, power generation, high-rise buildings, bridges, and industrial applications. This case study regards a 2.5-mile pipe rack modification project within an existing refinery. One of the many challenges for engineering and construction of refinery revamp projects is determining how to effectively expand the capacity of existing foundations for additional equipment, piping, and other facilities. Custom designed large-diameter helical piles provided an effective solution to the challenges faced when expanding the capacity of existing pipe racks."

Jan 1, 2017

By John P. Turner, Benjamin J. Turner

"This report describes a research project for evaluating the applicability of the widely accepted 80 percent criterion for elongation of ground anchors to anchors with unbonded lengths exceeding 100 feet. This issue is driven by several recent projects involving ground anchors for landslide stabilization in which a significant percentage of the anchors did not meet the criterion that requires measured elongation during proof load testing of at least 80 percent of the theoretical elastic elongation. The projects involved anchor unbonded lengths in the range of 85 to 220 feet, which is outside the range traditionally used in practice, although anchors of this length are being used more frequently for landslide stabilization. The principal objective of this research is to address whether the widely accepted criterion of 80 percent elongation is applicable for such applications, and whether other factors affect the ability of anchors to meet the criterion.Analytical methods for predicting transfer of load along the length of steel strand due to friction loss are used routinely in the prestressed concrete industry. These analytical expressions provide a rational framework for quantifying changes in load due to friction along the length of a ground anchor in terms of a ‘wobble coefficient’ (K) as defined in Aalami (2004). Values of the wobble coefficient for ground anchors can only be determined by back-calculating from load tests, i.e., fit the value of K to the appropriate analytical expression based on the known test load and measured percent elongation. The analytical basis is first developed and shown to provide a tool for evaluating results of anchor load tests to determine the magnitude of expected elongation as a function of unbonded length. Next, a database of anchor load tests is used to back-calculate values of K for anchors with unbonded lengths in the range typically used in geotechnical applications (< 100 feet). These values of K are then used to calculate expected friction loss for anchors with high unbonded lengths (100 to 250 feet) to evaluate whether the 80 percent criterion is reasonable."

Jan 1, 2017

By Kevin Green, Iván Contreras, Aaron Grosser, Jon Ausdemore, Rachel Leier, Amr Ragy

"Construction of a new tailings dam was required to increase tailings storage capacity at a trona mine near Green River, Wyoming. The new dam was founded on overburden soils underlain by both fractured and competent bedrock. The stored tailings and water had high salt content, resulting in salty seepage water. To reduce the impact of the salty water on groundwater and the Green River, the design of the new tailings dam included a 257,260 SF (23,900 m2) seepage cutoff extending into competent rock.An extensive subsurface characterization was performed prior to completing the design and suitable seepage cutoff methods were evaluated. The approach selected was a full replacement panel using hydromill and clamshell for construction and self-hardening slurry (SHS) for the wall material. Laboratory testing was performed and ongoing monitoring has continued to evaluate the hydraulic conductivity and seepage cutoff performance in the briny environment.The paper includes project background, the collaborative approach and outcomes of the QA/QC program, and the monitoring results for the seepage cutoff wall.PROJECT BACKGROUNDCiner Wyoming, LLC (formerly OCI Wyoming, LLC) owns and operates the Big Island Mine facility near Green River, Wyoming. This underground trona mine has produced soda ash since 1962. The Greater Green River Basin covers much of southwestern Wyoming and extends into northeastern Utah and northwestern Colorado. The Ciner facility is located in the Green River Basin, which is part of the Wyoming Basin physiographic province. The Green River runs to the west and the south of the Ciner facility.Beginning in the early 1990s, Ciner primarily disposed tailings underground in mined-out panels. However, in recent years, underground storage has become limited and some disposal has transitioned to the ground surface. Long-term planning revealed a need to expand Ciner’s surface tailings disposal capabilities. Pond 2, a previously permitted disposal area, was identified as the most viable location for a storage facility. The Pond 2 site is directly north of the Ciner plant facilities, northwest of the active Upper Delta tailings storage facility, and northeast of the Green River (Fig 1)."

Jan 1, 2016

By Maurizio Siepi, Paul van Horn, John Coupland, Julian Crawley

"TTMJ is the acronym for the Slurry (Diaphragm) Wall Tension Track Milled Joint currently in development as part of the European Union's innovative and far-reaching Horizon 2020 initiative (FTI Pilot-2015-1 720579). The TTMJ Project has been specifically set up to deliver this versatile new step-forward in Slurry Wall technology. The TTMJ System is protected by patent in Europe and the USA, and is currently under development by a consortium comprising Trevi SpA (Italy), Arup (Netherlands) and CCMJ Systems (UK). The principles of the TTMJ System together with the installation process are herein described in general terms. The system is still under development with field trials scheduled for early 2018, so some of the detail will not be disclosed at this stage. It is the intention of the Authors that the results of these field trials and a more complete description of the System will be presented in a paper we intend to submit for the DFI/EFFC International Conference on Deep Foundations and Ground Improvement to be held in Rome, Italy in June 2018. The final section of this paper explains how the TTMJ system can be applied to a common application of slurry wall construction; deep circular or multi-cell shafts. The system can be used to construct shafts more easily and at less cost than current methods. It also allows shafts with smaller internal dimensions to be constructed than is currently practical.INTRODUCTIONCCMJ Systems (UK) realised that an innovative new approach to forming joints in both Slurry (Diaphragm) Walls and Secant Pile Walls would provide greatly improved joint integrity to greater depths, to the overallbenefit of retaining wall quality, across the world-wide foundations industry.In particular this new system is designed to:??Increase the effective depth range of Slurry Walls (especially walls excavated by grab) and Secant Walls??Remove the requirement for Stop-ends or Joint Formers??Allow for a Shear Key at the joint??Allow for a Water Stop to be installed at the joint??Permit Continuous Reinforcement across the joint??Optimise Reinforcement Density and hence Concrete Flow??Facilitate joints in corner panels eliminating the need for “L” shaped cages and reducing largesingle-pour concrete volumes and slurry storage capacity requirements.??Enable the construction of smaller-dimensioned square and circular deep shafts (especially useful for city-centre sites) than is possible with current methods.CCMJ Systems approached other industry specialists with a view to forming a development team to explore the possibilities for this new technique."

Jan 1, 2017

By James P. Chivilo, Gregory R. Meeder, Scott J. DiFiore, Matthew H. Johnson

New construction in metropolitan areas has direct impacts on immediate neighbors and abutters. While noise and dust are generally nuisance concerns, demolition, vibrations, excavation, and dewatering can cause structural damage to adjacent structures. Different cities, states, or jurisdictions have different regulations that dictate requirements, roles, or responsibilities for varying parties during construction. The authors will introduce and discuss risks of new construction adjacent to existing structures, and the legal framework in Illinois which requires the owner of the new construction project to provide adequate protections for adjacent existing structures. The authors, who are engineers and attorneys, will discuss technical and legal concerns, and will highlight the importance of early and frequent communication among project participants to manage risks, despite whether or not any local regulations exist to drive the process. RISKS IN ADJACENT CONSTRUCTION New construction in metropolitan areas inherently involves some combination of noise, dust, ground-borne vibrations, earth excavation, and subgrade dewatering. These issues have potential to directly and adversely affect abutters and their property. Noise and dust can be nuisance concerns, while vibrations, excavation, and dewatering can result in damage to abutters’ structures. Noise and dust are unlikely to lead to physical damage to abutters’ property, and can be controlled with limited work hours and good housekeeping practices. Vibrations and excavations, however, if not well understood, planned for, and mitigated, can result in serious damage to abutters’ structures. In turn, this damage introduces additional and often significant costs and schedule delays.

Jan 1, 2019

By Steven E. Darnell, William W. Haasz, Brandon T. Buschmeier, Frederic Masse

"Landfills often cover expansive areas in locations where large building facilities or infrastructure is in high in demand after the land has been reclaimed. Most landfills have soil or fill properties that vary widely over small distances; combined with the strict guidelines and restrictions for the removal and treatment of soil or material that is on site, these projects can be a major challenge for any prospective developer. In order to make landfills suitable for the construction of any project it is necessary to conduct a detailed evaluation of the subsurface conditions. Ground improvement techniques are among the most typical methods for making reclaimed landfills suitable for the construction of any major project. The paper will discuss the approach that was taken to support a proposed warehouse in Elizabeth, New Jersey using Controlled Modulus Columns Rigid Inclusions (CMC Rigid Inclusions), which are grouted, auger-displacement elements. Additionally, we will discuss the use of Dynamic Compaction (DC) that was performed in areas outside the proposed warehouse footprint. Through the combination of CMC rigid inclusions and DC, the general contractor’s project schedule was expedited, the costs to support the warehouse were economized, and the anticipated settlement of the parking lot areas was drastically reduced. Furthermore, the paper will outline the benefits of using CMC rigid inclusions and DC methods in order to minimize the impact of working with contaminated soils from a landfill.OVERVIEW OF THE ELIZABETH WAREHOUSE PROJECTOver the past several decades the foundations industry has seen an increase in demand for the support of developments on reclaimed landfills; particularly, on the east coast where many landfills were capped before the 1980’s and steady population growth and city expansion have caused high demand for this now highly desired real estate. Unfortunately, these landfills, often as large as twenty (20) or more acres present tough geotechnical and environmental challenges for Owners planning to develop or build structures of any size on the reclaimed land. Consequently, the options for building on reclaimed landfills can quickly become cost prohibitive.Site SpecificSelected by a developer for the location of a future warehouse, the 29 acres (114,424 sq-meters) project site is located in Elizabeth, New Jersey and demonstrates the complexities of designing over a once reclaimed landfill. The landfill was used for municipal solid waste (MSW) consisting of trash, wood, metal, glass, plastic, brick, concrete fragments, and other types of debris. This landfill was capped in the 1960’s, and developed in the 1970’s for a warehouse. The new project included the demolition of the existing warehouse and the development of the site to be repurposed for a new 481,650 sq-ft single-story warehouse, surrounded by paved parking and truck loading areas. Figure 1 below, shows an overview of the project site layout."

Jan 1, 2017