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By George Moses K, Mahendran K

Grouting is performed in rock masses in order to increase its strength properties and also to reduce the seepage. In the design of underground structures such as tunnels or caverns located in weak rock masses, grouting plays an essential role. Grouting is a complex process demanding high degree of skill and knowledge in understanding of grout flow and requirements for certain geological conditions. This paper discusses the design process for grouting in rock masses adopted for a cavern project and the practical difficulties faced during the execution at site. The design parameters of grouting includes the injection pressure, grout material properties and stopping criteria. The paper also discusses the various tests performed at site to evaluate the efficacy of the grouting process which was initially defined based on the design and previous experiences. The final grouting scheme suiting to the present geological condition is arrived based on the test results. The practical difficulties faced during the execution and the measures taken to overcome these are discussed in detail. This work shows the importance of state of art in the development of a grouting process based on geological and hydrogeological conditions prevailing at site and can be helpful in grouting design for weak rock masses.

Nov 1, 2022

By Jesse A. Pfeiffer

CPAR, the Construction Productivity Advancement Research Program, is a new initiative of the Corps of Engineers to enhance U.S. construction industry productivity through the development and application of joint-funded research. CPAR seeks to balance the requirements of both the private sector and the Corps of Engineers construction program, to identify research needs that are common to both parties in a partnership for conducting research, and to achieve practical real-world products which will enhance productivity in the construction industry. Increasing costs of doing business has had a major negative impact on much of the nation's industrial base, and research and development (R&D) is among the areas hardest hit. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that since 1984 inflation adjusted R&D outlays in private U.S. firms have risen at an average annual rate of three percent, or about half the rate of gain of the preceding decade. And, despite a significant increase in foreign competition, the portion of gross national product (GNP) devoted to R&D is lower today than 20 years ago. For the case of the U.S. construction industry, the numbers are even more dramatic.

Jan 1, 1989

By William F. Starke

"The Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD) located in Toronto, Ontario, found itself in dire need of space due to increased enrollment, leading them to embark on a major expansion and redevelopment on campus. The expansion entailed an additional 115,000 sq.ft. (10,700 m2) and a new major structure was required, as well as extensive redevelopment of existing buildings. The new Sharp Centre for Design was designed by acclaimed British Architect Will Alsop, of Alsop Architects, in a joint venture with Toronto-based Robbie/Young + Wright Architects. The OCAD campus is cramped for space and the design selected was a structure built over top of existing structures. The building has been described as resembling a “shoebox in the sky”, supported on raked columns transmitting high lateral forces as well as compression load to the foundations. There are 12 such supports, each supported by an individual caisson. In addition, the project entailed installation of other caissons in the courtyard area with the construction work accomplished under very confined conditions among the existing structures. The remarkable design for the new Ontario College of Arts will surely make it another of Toronto’s architectural landmarks. Several things make this project stand out as a unique deep foundations project.First is the architectural design. Words cannot do it justice: the picture is the only effective way to start to describe it. This is a big two-story box, built over the top of a fragile existing building. The underside of the box is 86 ft (26m) above street level. Students remained still inside the old building while construction was going on around and above them. There were serious concerns about vibration – not only its effects on the academic life; but more significantly, upon the stability and safety of the old building, which rests somewhat shakily on shallow spread footings.Steel stilts that look like toothpicks when scaled against the new and existing structures support the box. The stilts are much sturdier than they appear from the pictures, but it is easy to visualize the complexity of the loads they transfer to the foundations below."

Jan 1, 2004

By C. Guney Olgun, Charles Elks, Sherif L. Abdelaziz, James R. Martin, Christopher Fox, Pier Luigi Iovino, Fatih Catalbas, Pierre Gouvin

"Energy piles are a new innovative renewable energy technology to access and exploit the relative constant temperature of the ground for efficient heating and cooling of buildings. Examples of energy piles include drilled shafts, continuous flight auger (CFA) piles, driven piles, and micropiles. A field test setup was installed at the Virginia Tech Geotechnical Research Facility to study energy piles. The field test consists of a total of five micropiles 25 cm (10 inches) in diameter, four of which were equipped with circulation loops. The test piles extend to a depth of 30.5 meters (100 feet) and are heavily instrumented with strain gauges and temperature sensors. Several observation boreholes were formed around the test piles to monitor ground temperatures. Thermal conductivity tests and field load testing were performed to investigate the behavior of Energy Piles. This paper presents results of the thermal conductivity tests and thermo-mechanical field load test performed as part of this field investigation.IntroductionThere is a developing trend around the world to explore alternative energy sources. The main driving forces are growing global energy demand, depleting natural resources and the adverse effects of greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel consumption. Geothermal energy is one of the promising renewable sources that can be utilized to offset such trends. However the use of geothermal energy has been limited mainly to certain hot spot areas where it is used either for district heating and/or electricity generation. Ground temperatures below a depth of about 6 meters (20 feet) remain stable compared to outside air temperatures, typically lying between 8-23°C (46-73°F) at most U.S. regions. The constant temperature and heat storage capacity of near surface soils in any region represent a tremendous potential of stored energy that can be used for heating and cooling of structures."

Jan 1, 2017

By Francis B. Gularte

The Dalles Dam is located 192 miles upstream from the Columbia River?s mouth. As part of an effort to increase survival rates for young salmon migrating downstream to the Pacific Ocean, a river spillwall was constructed to guide the young salmon into the thalway and out of the reach of predators. The spillwall consisted of 43 large precast concrete cells constructed onsite. The 120-ton cells are positioned on the bedrock riverbed to form the 830-foot-long spillwall. Large capacity post-tensioned strand anchors extend through ducts in the precast units, anchoring the wall to the basalt. One hundred seventy-eight tie-down anchors consisting of 30, 32, or 40 strands were installed and post-tensioned to secure the cells. The logistic and technical challenges presented by positioning, installing, and stressing the precast cells in the tailrace of a large dam required a high level of cooperation and planning between the owner, general contractor, subcontractors, and suppliers in order to finish the project within the allotted in-water work windows to minimize impacts on seasonal salmon migration.

Jan 1, 2010

By Francisco A. Flores, Rigoberto Torres

The Complementary Technical Standards of Mexico’s City Building Code do not mention the criteria to compute the bearing capacity of Steel H-piles. It is necessary to increase knowledge in using steel H-piles as foundation elements in very soft soils of Mexico City. Considering their applicability to reinforce structures as well as new foundations in confined spaces, this research is proposed to obtain the axial load capacity of piles at scale in laboratory. This paper describes the construction and testing of scale models in laboratory of steel H-piles to measure their axial compression and tension load capacity in the soft soils of Mexico City. Three types of piles were fabricated at scale. Tests were performed on individual piles and pile groups. Based on the axial load tests, the load-displacement curves are presented both in compression and tension. The analysis of the results is shown, and comments are given regarding the ultimate bearing capacity of piles. Recommendations are presented regarding the determination of the bearing capacity of these piles in the very soft soils of Mexico City.

Sep 8, 2021

By Ke Yang

"Drilled shafts are typically used to support structures subjected to large moments at the shaft head. The large moment can produce push and pull forces on the two sides of a drilled shaft. Consequently, the applied moment is partially resisted by the push-pull moment resistance induced from the vertical side shears. This type of push-pull resistance has not been fully recognized in most design and analysis methods. In this paper, a 30 finite element model for a drilled shaft subjected to lateral load and moment is presented and is validated against two field lateral load tests. Based on the 30 finite element model, a parametric study is carried out. It shows that the push-pull moment can resist 18-35% of the applied moment. The parametric study also shows that the push-pull resistance varies linearly with loading eccentricity when the eccentricity is less than the shaft embedment length. A method to estimate the push-pull resistance is proposed based on the results of the parametric study. Then, a new method for lateral capacity prediction is proposed to account for the push-pull resistance. The base shear resistance is significant for short drilled shafts; therefore it is also included in the proposed method. A case study on four lateral load field tests illustrates that the new method could improve the accuracy of lateral capacity prediction when compared with the traditional Broms method.INTRODUCTIONDrilled shafts are typically used to support a variety of structures subjected to large moments. Sound walls, highway signs, traffic signals, high-rise buildings, electrical transmission towers, and bridge piers are examples of cases where lateral loads with large eccentricity would result in high overturning moments on foundations.Current analysis methods for capacity predictions (Broms, 1964a and 1964b; Brinch Hansen, 1961) or deflection predictions (Reese, et al. 197 4) of laterally loaded drilled shafts are based on the lateral resistance of soils and rocks. However, O'Neill pointed out that moments can be partially resisted through the push-pull resistance provided by the vertical side shears due to the rotation of the pile (Reese, 1997)."

Jan 1, 2005

By Babak Mamaqani, Pirooz Barar

The Moanalua trestle spanned over Moanalua Stream, Honolulu, HI and was designed to accommodate construction of five 10 feet diameter cast in drilled hole (CIDH) piers as a part of Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) project. Due to the proximity of piers to the existing bridge, the trestle was elevated 20 feet above grade. Stratigraphy of the site consisted of shallow depth of fill and 150 feet of loose to very loose recent alluvium (soft clay) underlain with stiff to hard old alluvium (stiff clay). CIDH casings were installed by a rotator or oscillator depending on the diameter of the piers. The challenge was to design the trestle, not only for heavy gravity loads, but also to resist significant lateral loads from rotator and oscillator with minimal deflection. Series of piles, called reaction piles, were integrated into the trestle at each CIDH pier location to provide adequate lateral support for the rotator/oscillator. Due to the lack of information regarding soil Young’s modulus (E), a methodology was developed to calibrate and calculate E with two methods. Extensive analyses using LPILE and finite element analysis program, PLAXIS, were performed to model reaction piles and calculate lateral deflection. PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS The Honolulu Rail Transit includes 20-mile route and 21 stations to be built from East Kapolei to Ala Moana Center, with $1.55 billion construction budget. The project is divided into two phases as shown in Fig. 1: Phase 1 which connects East Kapolei to Aloha Stadium with expected operation in late 2020, and Phase 2 which connects Aloha Stadium to Ala Moana Center with expected operation in 2025.

Jan 1, 2019

By Anne Lemnitzer

Experimental data are the cornerstone of scientific research, providing empirical evidence to validate hypotheses, test theories, inform decision-making and help develop innovative design and analysis methods. However, beyond traditional empirical validations, experimental data have also become the most crucial component of AI algorithms, measuring the algorithms' effectiveness, and allowing engineers to ensure their reliability and applicability. The DFI "Rock Socket Project," awarded in the spring of 2018 allowed for the indispensable, experimental data-based validation of structural shear magnitudes, which have been hypothesized and discussed for years within the deep foundations community and cautiously approached by many design engineers. The fundamental project idea, i.e., the investi- gation of pile shear magnitudes through experimental research, was sparked during a heated discussion in the October 2016 Drilled Shaft Committee meeting in New York. Should we design for amplified shear at the rock socket of a drilled shaft or is this merely an artifact of the p-y design approach? Data were needed to provide consensus.

Nov 1, 2023

"1.0 DESCRIPTIONThis work consists of furnishing all necessary labor, equipment, and materials to install prefabricated vertical (wick) drains in the ground in accordance with the Plans and as specified herein.2.0 REFERENCED CODES AND STANDARDSASTM D4716-08 Standard Test Method for Determining the (In-plane) Flow Rate per Unit Width and Hydraulic Transmissivity of a Geosynthetic Using a Constant HeadASTM D4632-08 Standard Test Method for Grab Breaking Load and Elongation of GeotextilesASTM D4533-11 Standard Test Method for Trapezoid Tearing Strength of GeotextilesASTM D4491-99a Standard Test Methods for Water Permeability of Geotextiles by Permittivity (2009)ASTM D4751-04 Standard Test Method for Determining Apparent Opening Size (A.O.S.) of a GeotextileASTM 6918-09 Standard Test Method for Testing Vertical Strip Drains in the Crimped Condition3.0 QUALIFICATIONSThe Contractor shall have successfully completed a minimum of five wick drain installation projects in similar ground conditions, and installed not less than 5,000,000 linear feet (1,525,000 linear m) of wick drain in the past five years. The Contractor shall have a minimum of five continuous years of wick drain installation experience."

Jan 1, 2014

By Alexi J. Neill

"This presentation will showcase two challenging projects with deep excavation support systems in the Atlanta area where state-of-the-art instrumentation and monitoring systems were used to manage risk by confirming design performance requirements / calculations during construction. The instrumentation and monitoring system successfully reduced risk by recording real-time data on a project website while simultaneously sending email alarms to key site personnel when data exceeded pre-determined alarm thresholds. The monitoring data revealed unexpected performance at an early enough stage so that contingency plans could be engaged and remedial efforts devised in order to limit the consequences. Finite element analysis was used to model deformations, analyze the unexpected performance, and prepare theremedial design.INTRODUCTIONConstruction in densely populated urban areas is becoming more common in order to keep up with the increasing infrastructure demands of our growing population. America’s big cities continue to outpace the overall nation in population growth. The city of Atlanta, the nation’s ninth largest city based on metropolitan population, is a prime example of this. The population has grown at a rate of 6.6% between 2010 and 2013, nearly triple the overall growth rate of the United States during the same period (SustainAtlanta, 2015).As a result of increasing infrastructure demands in Atlanta, developers are now constructing larger buildings on smaller properties. In addition, developers are attempting to maximize space on their selected properties, often by designing underground parking garages to accommodate as many cars as possible on these compact sites. In some cases the selected sites are adjacent to buildings, utilities, and other existing structures. The risk associated with construction increases during underground work that requires a support of excavation system, particularly on confined sites adjacent to existing structures. There is a risk posed to people, property, and the environment that the project team should monitor when constructing in these conditions."

Jan 1, 2016

By Dale E. Berner

A new navigation dam at Olmsted on the Ohio River will be built "in-the-wet" using a lift-in construction method by the Washington Group/Alberici Joint Venture for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District. Up to 4,000-ton precast concrete dam shell segments will be prefabricated on the Illinois riverbank and lowered into the river on a marine skidway and cradle. A 4,500-ton capacity catamaran crane barge will lift the precast concrete shells and lifting frames from the cradle, and transport them partially submerged to a piled foundation pre-installed underwater. Tremie concrete will be used to compositely connect the shells, piles and sheet pile cut-off walls. This paper focuses on the pipe-pile foundations for this half-mile long navigation dam, and for the temporary precast yard and marine skidway. The dam foundations are designed to resist large ground motions from the New Madrid Fault Zone, and selected production piles are designed to serve as landing piles to support the shells during the construction process. Specific foundation issues addressed in the paper include: pile load tests; production field testing requirements; controlled fixity 24-inch diameter pipe-pile design including seismic considerations; cut-off wall design; sheet pile cellular fixed weir design; isolation jOint design; and temporary works foundation designs for both the precast yard and the marine skidway, including testing of 42-in diameter pipe piles.

May 11, 2007

By Peter A. Thompson, Richard E. Prust

"The Bangkok Mass Rapid Transit (MRT} Chaleom Ratchamongkhon Line project is the first underground subway to be completed in Thailand. It consists of 22 km (14 miles) of twin-bored tunnels and 18 cut and cover stations constructed within the deltaic deposits that underlie the city. This paper describes the ground conditions, site investigation, including the use of the self-boring pressuremeter and the associated design issues for the construction of deep foundations. The paper also describes a selection of the various deep foundation solutions that were adopted to address particular constraints of the project and the ground conditions, including slurry walls for the cut and cover stations and foundations used for the underpinning of existing structures.INTRODUCTIONThe MRT Chaloem Ratchamongkhon Line Mass Transit Underground Railway comprises approximately 22 km (14 miles) of tunnels and 18 stations. The route is shown in Figure 1.The project was divided into two design and build contracts. The northern section was awarded to the ION joint venture, composed of Italian-Thai Development PLC, Obayashi Corporation and Nishimatsu Construction Co Ltd. Arup were contracted by ION for the design of the northern section. The section comprises 11 km (7 miles) of twin-bored tunnels, nine cut and cover station tunnels constructed within perimeter slurry walls using top down construction methods, and two cut and cover tunnel structures.The majority of the route of the northern contract follows existing highway Rights of Way. This results in the tunnel alignment passing through the foundations of existing highway bridge structures for which a variety of deep foundation solutions were adopted to underpin these structures.An 8-story park and ride building in the Lat Phrao area was also constructed using deep foundations."

Jan 1, 2005

By Ramon Varghese, A. Boominathan, Subhadeep Banerjee

Pile raft foundation system has been accepted as an economic foundation design for high rises and heavily loaded structures. Seismic response analysis of PR foundation systems involves complex pile-soil-pile interaction as well as raft-soil-pile interactions, for which simplified methods have limitations. Kinematic rocking of a pile group is known to be influenced significantly by the pile configuration. The presence of an embedded pile cap, or a raft, as in the case of a piled raft can further alter the dynamic characteristics of a pile group-soil system. In the present study, frequency dependent kinematic response factors are evaluated for piled raft foundation, using the substructuring approach based ACS SASSI program. Performance of the numerical analysis methodology is first evaluated with results from analytical and experimental studies reported in literature. The effect of pile layout on kinematic response is then studied for a piled raft in clay system based on a centrifuge shaking table test reported in literature. Kinematic response factors and horizontal impedances were determined for varying pile spacing ratios. The influence of raft has been found to increase kinematic translation by up to three times in the piled raft in clay system. Pile configuration is found to play a significant role in kinematic rocking of piled rafts. The presence of raft is observed to significantly reduce dynamic rotational stiffness coefficient in the dimensionless frequency range of 0.23 to 0.6, and increase damping coefficient after a dimensionless frequency of 0.4, for all pile configurations studied. The effect of an embedded raft is hence an important consideration while evaluating foundation input motion as well as impedances of piled raft foundations. INTRODUCTION The Piled raft foundation (PR), is a composite foundation system that facilitates load sharing between pile and raft. It is an economic foundation option for high rises and heavily loaded structures. Soil structure interaction (SSI) in PR system involves raft-soil-pile, and pile-soil-pile interactions which needs to be considered in static or dynamic SSI analysis. The effect of pile can have substantial influence on foundation input motion, for seismic analysis (Di Laora et al. 2017). Piles are observed to depress a wide spectrum of the seismic excitation (Fan et al., 1991, Di Laora & de Sanctis, 2013). Although kinematic response of pile groups have been extensively studied in the past, the influence of the presence of raft on kinematic response characteristics of pile groups has not received much attention.

Jan 1, 2018

By Peter Middendorp

Pile foundations are widely applied in the Netherlands because of the soft soil conditions. One of the popular pile types are cast-in-situ piles, which have to be integrity tested to get accepted. Integrity testing has been applied for more than 30 years, with the number of integrity test performed nowadays exceeding 400,000 per year and subsequently there is a substantial amount of practical experience with this testing method. This paper will deal with some basics of integrity testing and describe some of the techniques that have been adopted in the Dutch pile testing practice, like detection of pile head defects with a spike type hammer pulse, and the site average or pile group average for the qualitative interpretation of measured signals.

Jan 1, 2006

By Padmavathi V, M. Najamuddin, M. R. Madhav

Granular piles are one of the leading ground improvement techniques, adopted for the betterment of bearing capacity and reduction in settlements of the foundations and also to accelerate consolidation of the surrounding soil. In the recent past, there has been extensive research on the settlement analysis and behavior of granular piles under varied soil conditions. The application of these theoretical solutions to practical problems requires a knowledge of representative values of the deformation parameters of the ground and the granular piles. However, very little information is available on these parameters. The paper presents a new method for the estimation of the modular ratio of granular piles and modulus of deformation of the surrounding in-situ soil from the compression load tests. The load - settlement response obtained from the compression test results are used in the back analysis for estimating the modulus of deformation of the ground. The presence of granular bed, under the rigid plate for load testing, has been given due consideration in quantifying the proportion of load transferred on to the stone column. Based on these considerations a new method is developed to estimate the modulus of deformation of the ground and the modular ratio of the granular pile.

Sep 1, 2022

By Carlos Lam, Joram M. Amir, Erez I. Amir

"Abstract The modulus of elasticity of pile material (E) is an important parameter for the interpretation of both static and dynamic loading tests on piles. This value is commonly assumed to be constant with depth though it may not be true for deep bored piles due to the chosen casting method and/or selfweight consolidation. To provide evidence to support this proposition, the results of compressive strength tests on core samples taken from four different studies have been presented. The results show a marked increase in the strength and stiffness values with depth. The results of crosshole ultrasonic tests conducted at another site also confirm the same pattern. It is therefore recommended that before load testing a pile the distribution of the E values along the pile axis should be investigated. This will ensure the use of a realistic elastic modulus value and hence the correct interpretation of thedistribution between the shaft and end resistances.IntroductionThe modulus of elasticity of pile material (E) is an important parameter for the interpretation of both static and dynamic load tests on piles. Multiplying E by the strain measured by either strain gauges (e.g. ASTM D4945) or tell-tales (e.g. Geffen and Amir, 1971) gives the stresses acting at a given pile section. Typically, in the absence of better information, the value of E is derived from laboratory tests on concrete cubes or cylinder specimens taken on site and is assumed to be constant along the pile. While this may be correct for pre-fabricated concrete piles that are cast in horizontal molds, it may not be true for cast-in-place piles that are produced in the vertical position.There are at least two factors that may contribute to the change in concrete properties with depth in a bored pile. First, the casting methods may be by free fall in dry holes (e.g. Kiefer and Baker, 1994) or by using a tremie tube if support fluids are used. In the former case, the earlier batches reach the bottom of the pile bore at a higher velocity and are thus compacted under higher energy. Second, regardless of the casting method, the fresh concrete in the pile bore will always consolidate at least partially under its own self weight. The materials in the lower parts of the pile will therefore experience a higher consolidating pressure. This can reduce the pore volume and the water content in the wet concrete, thus changing the properties of the hardened concrete. Recent research by Justs et al. (2011) has shown that even a relatively small pressure can have a significant positive effect on concrete properties such as compressive strength and stiffness. However, the possible change of concrete properties with depth is commonly ignored by foundation engineers in the current design practice."

Jan 1, 2014

By Jesse R. Jacobson

A large casino complex in Cherokee, North Carolina recently underwent a $633 million expansion that involved substantial foundation challenges. The site is located in a valley on the southern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where subsurface conditions typically consist of varying thicknesses of fill overlying alluvium, residuum, partially weathered rock and rock. The fill and alluvium contain cobbles and boulders as large as several feet in diameter. The residuum and partially weathered rock are very thick in some areas, and the depth at which consistently high quality rock is encountered is highly variable. To reduce the foundation costs for the expansion, continuous flight auger (CFA) piles were proposed in lieu of micropiles. CFA piles are not generally used in this geologic environment and concerns regarding their selection included: (1) an uncertainty that CFA piles could be successfully constructed given the difficult conditions and (2) a lack of regional data regarding unit resistance values and load transfer characteristics. To address these concerns, a design-phase test program was undertaken to evaluate pile constructability, develop an understanding of the load transfer behavior, and establish the required pile lengths. The program included soil test borings, shear wave velocity measurements, timed auger probes, instrumented pile load tests and observation of exhumed piles. It was demonstrated that CFA piles could be advanced through the fill, cobble/boulder-laden alluvium, residuum and into the partially weathered rock, albeit with some limitations. Under axial loading, the pile response was very stiff and relatively high unit resistance values were measured. Pile instrumentation allowed for the evaluation and use of design pile lengths shorter than that tested, and the overall reduction in pile lengths yielded a 40 percent reduction in foundation cost. In general, CFA piles were determined to be a suitable, economical foundation alternative.

Jan 1, 2011

By Alice Arana, David M. Cacoilo, Joel L. Volterra

"To make space for the new South Ferry Station in lower Manhattan, engineers and contractors carved out a new tunnel beneath three operating subway tunnels and tangentially to yet another tunnel. Creating the space required the design and construction of complex temporary excavation support and underpinning systems and the design and installation of real-time monitoring systems. Construction for the new station and tunnel was mainly cut-and cover in a mixed-face area of soil and rock approximately 2,000 linear ft long, 60 ft wide and up to 70 ft deep. Close coordination between the design/build team and the project owner, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), was critical.With the construction of this $400 million project, the MTA and New York City Transit (NYCT) are correcting the numerous physical and operational deficiencies of the existing station and improving the lives of millions of commuters. Built in 1905, the original South Ferry Station is on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line of the New York City Subway and is the southern terminal of the #1 subway service, which forms a loop to return uptown. The station has a sharply curved single platform on the outside of the outer track of a two track loop. This platform is short and does not allow the rear five cars of a normal 10-car subway train to load or unload. In addition, once the train stops at the station, commuters wait while retractable floor grates bridge the gap created between the platform and the subway car doors, and then they have only one exit from the station. Spray nozzles keep the tracks lubricated to reduce the train wheels’ friction caused by the tight curve. The sharp curvature of the loop and the inability to use half of the subway car doors slow train operation. With the new ADA-accessible station, 10-car trains will be able to open all doors, and additional entrances, escalators and elevators will greatly reduce travel times."

Jan 1, 2008

By Sachihiko Tokunaga, Hirofumi Taguchi, Kenji Maruyama, Hidenori Takahashi, Yoshiyuki Morikawa

"Abstract The present study proposed a new liquefaction countermeasure to improve sandy ground and conducted a trial execution. The new method is a floating-type and lattice-shaped cement treatment method, where cement-treated soil is not fixed to a non-liquefiable stratum. A fixed structure such as treated soil should be formed at the side of the floating-type treated soil to reduce its lateral displacement. In the study, one-dimensional dynamic response analyses were first conducted to confirm the mechanism of the new method. Then, a series of centrifuge model tests were performed to demonstrate the effect under a stress condition at the prototype scale. The analyses and model tests confirmed the effect of the liquefaction countermeasure. Finally, trial executions were carried out to confirm high-quality vertical execution.INTRODUCTIONLiquefaction induced by an earthquake generates sand boiling and ground settlement. Other problems have also been reported, including a decrease in bearing capacity and an increase in the horizontal earth pressure against retaining walls. To prevent these problems caused by liquefaction of the ground, various countermeasures have been proposed, such as cement deep mixing and high-pressure jet mixing methods. These methods have the big advantage of being applicable to ground that contains soil with a fine-grain fraction. Furthermore, the unnecessary displacement caused by the construction can be reduced. In Japan, a lattice-shaped cement-treatment method has frequently been used at many construction sites to prevent liquefaction, where cement-treated piles are intersected to form a lattice, as shown in Fig. 1. The lattice-shaped walls can reduce the shear stress generated by an earthquake, restricting the liquefaction at that location. However, the construction cost of the cement treatment is relatively high compared to other methods such as the sand compaction pile (SCP) method, and needs to be reduced. In particular, the cost of the high-pressure jet mixing method, which can be applied to the liquefiable ground under existing structures, is significantly high. Therefore, decreasing the total volume of the cement treatment is necessary to reduce the construction cost."

Jan 1, 2014