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By Hal W. Hunt

Heavier loading and more efficient equipment is helping to keep driven piles competitive in America. Better Knowledge and testing of soils and support materials make it practical to use higher stresses; this is being strongly promoted by those directly concerned with timber, steel and concrete piles. Readily available point protection is increasingly used to assure penetration of piles without damage to full load bearing capability. Fabric drains are being installed with pile equipment to speed consolidation of soils. Sheet pile configuration has changed; production has been reduced largely because of imports. Dynamic checking of representative piles for load carrying capability is replacing conventional load testing of just a pile or two ? at much lower cost.

Jan 1, 1987

By Marius B. Wechsler

There are considered deep piles which are fixed in blocks of rotating machinery foundations. A mathematical background is developed for determining the behavior of this kind of piles for motions caused by horizontal and vertical oscillations, as well as by roc-king and twisting. It is assumed that the piles come across a top soil layer of depth c, not capable of lateral support, and penetrate over a length b, in a bottom firm soil layer, or in a bottom soft soil layer in which vibrations can produce voids around the piles. With respect to b and c, as well as to the elastic properties of piles and soils, the analysis leads to the maximum bending moments and shear forces subjecting the piles, to the maximum lateral bearing on the bottom soil layer, as well as to the deflection of the pile and the displacement of the foundation block. The results of the performed analysis can be applied to seismic loads too, and they are illustrated by a numerical example.

Jan 1, 1987

By Alexander J. Verstraeten

The design and construction of foundations for power transmission line towers present some special problems. This paper describes a system of design and construction for these foundations that was developed in Europe and has attained general use there because of its reliability and cost effectiveness. Transmission line foundations distinguish themselves by having to deal not only with compressive and lateral loads, but with uplift loads and, because of the wind (in some regions earthquakes), with dynamic loading. The construction of transmission line foundations distinguishes itself mainly in the great number of inaccesible locations involved, resulting in extensive geotechnical investigation and logistical problems in moving men, materials and equipment.

Jan 1, 1987

By D. R. Dance

The Resonant, or as it has more commonly come to be known the 'Sonic' Pile Driver, dates back to the early 1960's, when prototypes were produced by Charlie Guild, of Providence, Rhode Island, and A1 Bodine of Los Angeles, California, these were later to be developed into the unit known as the BRD 1000. Based on this initial work, the Shell Oil Companies of Sonico and The Resonant Pile Corporation, produced and operated 30 of these BRD 1000 machines, which were used throughout the U.S.A. and Canada on a wide range of foundation projects. Subsequent to this, Raymond International and G K N, of England, operated units on programs; the G K N units being of slightly modified configuration. In 1973 Hawker Siddeley Canada Ltd., acquired the license for the Pile Driver and related systems with the intent of promoting the use of the machines to install support pilings on the Alyaska Pipeline Project, but this did not materialize due to problems with the oscillator. After radical redesign and field testing of the oscillator system the unit was employed on a number of test projects principally in Northern Canada and Alaska.

Jan 1, 1987

By Daniel J. Rider

In 1980 the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority contracted for three miles of cut and cover box structure and station construction in Main Street, Buffalo, New York. Project depths ranged from 30 feet to 60 feet below street grade. Soils, Figure No. 1, consisted of loose to very compact sands and gravels. Ground water level was generally 20 feet below grade. Specifications required a soldier pile and timber lagging support system with external dewatering. Soldier piles were to be installed in prebored holes with bentonite slurry and lean concrete backfill. Conventional pile driving was not allowed due to concerns over excessive noise and vibrations and its effect on nearby historic structures and the surrounding population

Jan 1, 1987

By James Green

It has often been said that the best contracts written are by people who are suspicious of each other. The Spanish philosopher, Ortega y Gasset, said: "Every contract is an Act of Distrust." The arena for dispute settlement outside of the courts is increasing day by day - contracts, especially construction and civil engineering contracts, are written containing arbitration clauses for settling disputes - the very drafting of standard forms of contract, do in some instances by their very construction, create an ambiguity as to intent and provide a breeding ground for dispute. I come from a land far across the sea - the most southern land before the South Pole. Being a young country, 150 years old, we are still progressing - being far removed from the trouble free zones of the world and nuclear free we enjoy a lifestyle second to none.

Jan 1, 1987

By Colin C. West

On August 7, 1986, Barge 45, while being towed near the mouth of the Niagara River, was swept downstream and pinned against one of the central piers of the Peace Bridge. The barge rested against the pier with 125 feet overlying the Canadian border and 50 feet overlying the American border. The tug boat which was towing the barge was lost further downstream. Fortunately, the crew escaped and were rescued with no loss of life. There was serious concern about the potential erosion effects of the river currents on the foundation of the bridge pier as caused by the flow concentrations around the barge structure. Due to the time of year, with the approaching Fall and associated worsening weather conditions, it was imperative that the barge be removed as soon as possible. Donjon Marine of New Jersey, the United States Navy's Atlantic Zone Contractor, was called on to retrieve the barge. By this time the original owner had abandoned the wreck.

Jan 1, 1987

By A. F. van Weele

In general cast-in place piles will have an irregular pile shape. However, it is possible that these irregularities are so large that they may lead to pile deficiencies. It is very rarely possible to examine the pile foundations visually. Also the performance of a static or dynamic load test on each individual pile is not practical and much too expensive. This is the reason why pile integrity tests have been developed: to reduce the risk of inadequate pile foundations by performing a simple test. Pile integrity tests are non destructive tests which are carried out after a pile has been installed. Over the years a number of techniques have been developed of which the most important techniques are briefly described in this paper. Of all pile integrity testing methods, Sonic Integrity Testing is the most widely used method in western Europe. This method has been developed by TNO some 15 years ago. Since then the method has been improved, largely due to advances in micro-processing. A major improvement was made by the introduction of digital signal processing techniques. This made the Sonic Integrity Testing method more accurate (smaller defects can be detected), faster (more than 200 piles can be tested on a single working-day) and more reliable (the results are easier to interprete). A few cases will be presented which will show the usefulness of the Sonic Integrity Testing method. In one of these cases, a helpful tool for interpretation of the results is explained: the Sonic Integrity Testing Simulation program TNOWAVE. Notwithstanding the fact that Sonic Integrity Testing is a powerful method, it has also some strict limitations. These will be discussed at the end of the paper.

Jan 1, 1987

Jan 1, 1987

By Masanoub R. Fujioka

A brief discussion of the methodologies involved in dewatering practices, particularly as used in Hawaii in coralline formations. A description of early dewatering practices includes a number of case histories; later dewatering practices also are detailed with case histories. There were disasters and some successes. Grouting generally was not successful. Deep wells are technically feasible and generally the economical solution to deep basement construction.

Jan 1, 1986

By Donald J. Murphy

Longevity of structural units, as compared to the planned useful life of a facility, always is a design consideration. Typical concerns include slow decay due to environmental factors, and changes in constitutive relationships governing the performance of the material involved. With respect to foundations, the usual items of interest are corrosion of steel and concrete, and time dependent behavior of the soil/structure system. For piles, as with other foundations, deterioration is precluded, mitigated or otherwise accounted for by assessing properly the ambient situation (sulphates, pH, stray currents, resistivity) and providing safeguards, such as resistant construction products, oversizing, coatings, and/or cathodic protection. On the other hand, long term performance of the pile foundations, as affected by time dependent characteristics of the supporting soil or rock, can be predicted and controlled only with a synergetic coupling of analyses and field tests. The history of a project for which this approach was followed forms the basis for this paper.

Jan 1, 1986

By Loring A. Wyllie

Preparation, understanding and use of soils reports must be a team effort to be fully effective. The soils engineer must know what is to be built and exactly where. The structural engineer and owner must be fully informed on the foundation problems of the site. There must be frequent team review of information obtained from subsurface investigation and of design as details develop. The soils engineer should be available on a continuing team basis as design proceeds and should be directly involved with inspection and interpretation of site conditions as construction continues.

Jan 1, 1986

Jan 1, 1986

By Alan G. MacKinnon

Loads and stresses from pile driving are increasing from heavier piles and more powerful hammers. Stresses can be dangerous to equipment stability. Equipment developer MacKinnon tells how to compute stresses for all positions of the crane boom and angles of pile batter. From a paper presented at the DFI-University of Hawaii Seminar, April 1985.

Jan 1, 1986

By Jerry F. Parola

In current practice, pile foundation design is based on a general under-standing of pile-soil interaction during installation and superstructure-pile-soil interaction after construction. The pile design is a reflection of experience, precedent and judgment for normal piling practice of working load capacities up to approximately 100 tons with corresponding ultimate capacities up to 200 tons. For higher capacity piles, pile design is even less predictable. In particular, the feasibility of pile installation is an important design consideration that must be given the proper attention. An installation capability that is not given the required emphasis can cause unnecessary problems.

Jan 1, 1986

By James S. Graham

Research at the University of Colorado on southern pine and Douglas-fir piling has determined that the existing building code design stress values of 1200 psi and 1250 psi, as determined by ASTM D-2899, are substantiated; but testing procedures should be revised. All full size piling tests should be standardized at 1/d ratios of 2:1, or confined tests performed. Also, it has been determined that theoretical design values for timber piling should not be based on the lumber criteria of D-245 and D-2555, but instead should follow the pattern set by engineers in the utility industry for timber poles, in accordance with ANSI 05.1.

Jan 1, 1986

By James J. Tansey

A Deep Foundations Institute meeting with the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in March of 1984 featured legal rights under Differing Site Conditions. A workshop conducted by the authors and Gerard Ittig, Esq. added to the value of the symposium. This paper will be of interest to your attorneys in any subsurface disputes.

Jan 1, 1985

Jan 1, 1985

By David V. Lewin

Heavy structures in central Cleveland, Ohio, are supported on raft foundations, driven piles, or caissons. Settlements can be predicted and structures are designed to accommodate such settlements. On one project the settlements were not provided for in the design of the structure. Soils are sands, silts, and varved clays to shale. A rift in a central area is 600 feet deep. Solutions to problems, and results, are detailed.

Jan 1, 1985

By Roy Peratrovich

An innovative cost-saving design for a 1,100 ft bulkhead on the Tanana River at Nenana in central Alaska won Alaska Construction & Oil magazine's Construction Achievement Award. The designers utilized materials available nearby at low cost. They planned sheet pile enclosures, self-anchored back into shore without cell closures. They made it practical for inexperienced local workers to do the building. And they completed the project on time and below a reduced budget.

Jan 1, 1985