Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Introduction:
You cannot plan a site investigation until you understand what is needed for
design and you cannot understand what is needed for design until you know
about soil properties which you understand by doing site investigation and
getting dirty. (quote from Andrew Bowden)
The process whereby all relevant information concerning the site of a proposed
civil engineering or building development and its surrounding area is gathered.
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To select areas for the disposal of waste or surplus material.
To carry out safety checks on existing slopes, dams or structures.
To determine the changes which may arise in the ground and
environmental conditions, either naturally or as a result of the works,
on adjacent works and on the environment in general.
If you do not know what you should be looking for in a site investigation,
you’re not likely to find much of value . (quote from Glossop 1968)
(***Note: “experienced personnel” is a relative phrase. No matter how much experience ones
gains, there is always more to experience. CE486 will provide opportunities for you to learn
through experience!)
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o Pavements (HMA, PCC, Subabse, stabilized subgrade)?
o Ground improvements (compaction, excavation and replacement,
aggregate piers, etc.)
o Slope stability and reinforcement?
o Groundwater and surface water management (water retention
areas, dams)?
Bad geotechnical design is where you put the wrong parameters into the wrong
analysis and get the wrong answer. Good geotechnical design is where you put
the wrong parameter into the wrong analysis and get the right answer! This is
because in good design we assess how wrong our parameter determinations are
and how wrong our analyses are and make a compensating correction based on
precedent.
Key Aspects:
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What structures will be built on site and what are the possible
foundation alternatives? Is it a question of deformation or of strength or
both? Could shallow foundations suffice or is there a possibility that
piles might be the most effective solution? (Normally, the site
investigation should be planned with both possibilities in mind).
Are temporary (e.g. sheet pile) or permanent soil retaining structures
(e.g. MS wall) needed?
Is it a slope stability problem? Is it a long term situation, for example,
the stability of a natural slope? Is the soil intact or fissured?
What types of pavements would be suitable and economical and will
the subgrade material need to be over excavated and replaced or
stabilized (e.g. treat with cement or add a geogrid)?
Have there been large trees on the site that have been cut down? Why
is this an important question?????
Do we know the most critical distribution of pore water pressure?
If the problem is short term can we use total stress analysis? If so,
what is the most reliable method of measuring the undrained shear
strength of the clay in questions? (insitu vane, direct shear, CPT,
SPT?). Should undrained triaxial tests be carried out? (compression or
extension?, what size of sample?, what type of sampler? – CE360)
If a deep excavation is required will de-watering be involved, and how
will the sides of the excavation be supported?
Are detention ponds/dams needed on site and is the soil type
conducive to these types of structures?
Deliverables:
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CE 486: Civil Engineering Design II, Spring 2010
The geotechnical section of the project should address the following items, and the efforts and
their outcomes should be included in the report.
3. Identify geotechnical systems that warrant conceptual design and identify the specific
design features. Briefly describe the design approach and cite references. The minimum
required information for each geotechnical system is presented below as a guide.
a. Foundations – shallow/deep (size, length, spacing, materials)
b. Retaining walls (geometry, wall type – gravity versus mechanically stabilized
earth, drainage features)
c. Dams ( geometry, material cross section, 2-D flow net, check for “quick
condition”)
d. Pavement systems (subgrade, subbase, and pavement materials and
thicknesses)
e. Embankments and compacted structural fills (material – preferable from on-site,
moisture/density compaction criteria, lift thicknesses, compaction equipment,
quality control/assurance test plan)
f. Soil stabilization (admixture types, construction requirements)
g. Ground improvement (type, layout, special features?)
h. Slopes (geometry, ground water table location, soil profile, 2-D limit equilibrium
analysis to evaluate factor of safety against instability)
i. Others?
4. Identify engineering parameter values for each geotechnical system and make
reasonable estimates for these values as needed, and recommend additional field or
laboratory testing as needed.
a. Cohesion and friction angle
b. Elastic modulus
c. Hydraulic Conductivity
d. Density
e. Moisture content
f. Others?
5. Identify effective alternatives for each system by considering (1) technical issues, (2)
constructability, (3) economic, and (4) sustainable features.
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