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By Anupam Saxena

This paper presents a case history of design, prediction, probe and production pile driving monitoring, loading test, and installation of piles for a 22-story condominium tower in southwest Florida, U.S.A. ASC was commissioned to provide value engineering services in the proper selection of an economical and satisfactory foundation system. For the site-specific subsoil conditions, various types of foundations were considered and following an evaluation of high structural loads, site-specific constraints, and the production timeframe mandated by the project owner, a prestressed concrete pile-supported system was selected as an economical and effective foundation approach. The building foundations were designed for a compression capacity of 575 kN (65 tons) for the tower and 220 kN (25 tons) for the parking structure. The axial pile capacity and lengths were predicted using SPT91 software. The validation of these capacities was derived from driving 21 probe piles and performing static loading tests on selected probe piles (2 in compression and 1 in tension). The predicted pile capacities were evaluated with results from static loading tests on selected probe piles. This information was effectively utilized as part of an overall quality control program to install a total of over 920 prestressed concrete piles to lengths ranging from 11.5 to 16.5 m (37 to 54 ft) below existing ground elevation as part of the foundation support system.

Jan 1, 1996

By Karen Dawson

This paper presents a case study of the deformation-based design, construction, and performance of stone column ground improvement (GI) beneath a mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) wall and bridge abutment with heights up to 50 feet. As part of the widening of Interstate 5 (I-5) to allow High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes in Tacoma, Washington, a new approach and span over the Puyallup River will be constructed. During the soils investigation and design phase of the project, low plasticity silts (ML) inter- bedded with silty sand layers and organic silt where identified as being potentially liquefiable. Stone column ground improvement was designed using a deformation-based approach to address static settlement and seismic stability of the proposed MSE embankments. The deformation-based design of the stone columns resulted in significant savings over a limit equilibrium-based approach. This paper presents the results of sonic coring taken from the initial stone columns installed and compares these results to the real-time data acquisition reports from the stone column installations. Vibration monitoring results during stone column installation are included. Settlement monitoring at the face of the MSE wall and buried vibrating wire settlement monitoring elements are presented and compared to the original settlement predictions.

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 James F. Davis, Matthew A. Conte, Robert F. Tonning

This is a paper demonstrating the steps taken to combine multiple types of piles for a single site to maximize the benefits and characteristics of each method. We intend to discuss the use of grouted displacement piles in lieu of traditional pile types that were specified on an individual project. We will show how implementing this alternate pile type can both supplement and replace the originally specified pile to increase efficiency and lower costs. We will demonstrate a reduction in spoils, vibration, crew hours, and equipment size while employing methods to overcome unforeseen ground conditions.

By Monica Prezzi

"Auger cast-in-place (ACIP} piles and drilled displacement piles are being increasingly used as foundation elements for structures, particularly in projects requiring accelerated construction or involving the rehabilitation of foundations of existing, overstressed structures. Auger cast-in-place piles (also referred to as continuous-flight-auger piles) are widely used to construct the foundations of all types of structures. There are many different types of drilled displacement piles, with the installation methods varying according to the equipment used. Depending on the specific rotary piling technology used, responses ranging from those associated with non-displacement to those associated with full-displacement piles are obtained. Conventional pile design methods do not account for how the various construction techniques involved in auger piling change the soil state around the pile during installation and, hence, cannot accurately estimate the pile resistance in a consistent way. Research on this subject, identifying the different variables that must be accounted for in design and linking these variables to installation methods, is lacking. This paper describes the different piling methods available for auger cast-in-place and drilled displacement piles, the equipment used to install them and the quality control processes typically used. It also reviews some of the design methods currently used.IntroductionDeep foundations are extensively used in geotechnical engineering practice. The wide spectrum of piling methods results in a variety of pile types. Each type behaves differently, depending on the installation or construction methods. On one end of the spectrum are non-displacement piles, the classicql examples of which are bored piles or drilled · shafts. These piles are constructed by removing a cylinder of soil from the ground and replacing it with concrete and reinforcement. On the other end are full-displacement piles, such as closed-ended pipe piles or precast reinforced concrete piles, which are typically driven into the ground. Driven piles preload the materials below the toe of the pile and displace the soil surrounding the pile shaft laterally during the installation process. Therefore, displacement piles are, in general, more likely to have a stiffer response than non-displacement piles. This is true particularly in the case of sandy soils where displacement causes densification."

Jan 1, 2005

By Jr NeSmith

"Drilled Displacement piles are a product of screw pile technology originally developed in Europe. The process involves rotating tool into the ground that displaces the soil laterally as it advances, then grouting or concreting through the hollow stem of the tool as it is withdrawn. They were first introduced in the United States in the 1990’s and have become a mature and accepted technology since that time. They are now used to support a variety of heavily loaded structures including electric power and LNG facilities, stadiums and arenas, airports and mid- to high-rise commercial and residential facilities. In urban environments, the technique has a number of advantages including, low noise and vibrations, no removal of the existing soil, and reduced pile material cost due to the improved stress state of granular soils after installation (smaller or shorter piles can be used). For these reasons, displacement piles have been used to support various facilities in Northeastern United States (US). The paper presents case histories of the performance of displacement piles in the Northeastern US including the use of full displacement elements as a settlement limiting ground improvement system.INTRODUCTION“Drilled Displacement” (DD) is an industry umbrella term for a number of proprietary or commercially available cast-in-place pile installation systems which involve a hollow-stem tool that laterally displaces soil as it advances and the placement of grout or concrete through the hollow-stem tool as it is withdrawn. The systems include grout/concrete placement methods by both sand-cement grout pumped under pressure and tremie grout/concrete placement through bottom-hole discharge. The system discussed in this paper includes grout pumped under pressure, also referred to as Auger Pressure Grouted Displacement (APGD). A schematic of the APGD tool is shown in Figure 1. The tools require significant torque and downward force to advance; a typical installation platform is shown in Figure 2."

Jan 1, 2016

By David R. Sutfin, Joseph Lodde

110 N. Carpenter is new commercial building located in the West Loop neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The new home to the McDonalds Corporation work headquarters, accelerated project delivery methods were essential to meet the scheduling demands for this project along with other projects slated to start in the region. As such top-down construction methods were utilized to allow for above and below grade construction to proceed in parallel in lieu of more conventional bottom-up construction methods, thus compressing the project schedule. To achieve this plan, perimeter secant pile walls were constructed in conjunction with interior columns/drilled shafts and a shear wall core constructed from inside a temporary cofferdam. The use of secant pile walls allowed for efficient accommodation of a variety of loading conditions including: exterior curtain walls loads, perimeter column loads, tower crane foundation loads, and in-plane shear loads. Furthermore, this system allowed for efficient and fluid operation of equipment on site in order to accommodate the 90-day window allotted for initial foundation construction. INTRODUCTION 110 N. Carpenter is a recently-constructed 9-story commercial building located on the old Harpo Studios property in the West Loop neighborhood of Chicago, IL. The construction of this 55,750m2 (600,000 ft2) structure is significant to the continued commercial development of Chicago as nearly 46,450m2 (500,000 ft2) of the building houses the new world headquarters for the McDonald’s Corporation, which had moved from Chicago to the suburb of Oak Brook in 1971. McDonald’s recommitment to this urban environment is not only a reinvention of the long-established fast food giant but the anchor for a broader redevelopment of the West Loop neighborhood. Since the opening of this building was seen by the developer, the City of Chicago and others as a key to future local projects, innovative solutions were required to showcase forward-thinking design as well as expedite the construction process. The final result of the design/planning process is a structure consisting of nine levels of above-grade commercial space and two levels of below-grade parking, providing approximately 300 parking spaces. The above-grade structure consists of a reinforced concrete flat plate system, including two-way slabs, columns, and two core/shear wall systems for lateral support. With an average depth of 7m (23ft), the below-grade structure consists of interior components similar to the above-grade structure (structural slabs, columns, shear walls) but includes a perimeter secant pile wall that was designed to support lateral earth pressures; vertical forces from the exterior curtain walls, perimeter columns, and the construction tower cranes; and in-plane lateral forces to reduce the demand on and quantity of interior shear walls. The use of a secant pile wall is a key component to the project because it accommodated the use of top-down construction methods to accelerate the construction schedule.

Jan 1, 2019

By Daniel Ruffing, Charlie Krug

In recent years, the chain-style trencher has been proven a valuable tool for installing vertical walls on challenging sites where conventional methods may be less desirable. Like many tools, trenchers are most effective when used with the right application. Trenchers are commonly used for applications that could also be completed with conventional slurry trenching; low-permeability cutoff walls, collection trenches and permeable reactive barriers (PRBs). Drawing from a wealth of experience with conventional slurry trenching and the trencher, this paper compares and contrasts the technical considerations, treatability, installation, performance, and lessons learned for recent projects.

By Amr M. Sallam

A case history of utilizing a mat foundation enhanced with ?settlement-control? piles to support a high-rise building in Downtown Orlando is presented. Original geotechnical engineering studies, performed by others, recommended pile foundations due to difficult soil conditions and highly variable loads. The value engineering study performed by the authors provided alternative foundation system of the mat foundation enhanced by ?settlement-control? piles. The alternative foundation system required few iterations of structural and geotechnical analysis. A target stiffness for the settlement-control piles was selected by the structural engineer. Pile load tests were performed to verify the recommended pile geometry. A total of 81 auger-cast-in-place settlement-control piles 45-foot long 16-inch diameter were installed. A total of 24 columns were monitored for settlement, which showed substantially less settlement than predicted. It is the authors? opinion that the ?settlement-control? piles increased the mat stiffness, relieved the concentration of contact pressures around heavily loaded columns, and reduced potential differential settlement. Mat foundation with settlement-control piles provided border-line foundation solution between shallow and deep foundations and has the potential to be widely used in Central Florida for similar subsoil and loading conditions; however a thorough analysis using three dimensional Finite Element Modeling may be needed to refine the geotechnical evaluations.

Jan 1, 2009

By Kirk Ellison, Sherif Elfass, Ramin Motamed, Kevin V. Stanton

"The determination of accurate load transfer curves are essential for estimating deep foundation loadsettlement response using t-z style analyses. While recently developed semi-empirical methods from Ashour et al. (2010) and Ashour & Helal (2012) have shown promise in preliminary studies, they have not yet been thoroughly benchmarked against a more widely accepted approach. To address this issue, these recent procedures are implemented in the computer program CGI-DFSAP to predict the results of four Osterberg-cell (O-Cell) load tests. These predictions are compared to outcomes obtained following the recommendations from Reese & O’Neill (1988) for t-z analyses of drilled shafts in sand and clay which are carried out with the program TZ-PILE. Overall, the results suggest that the new approach offers improved accuracy regarding predictions of drilled shaft response to axial loading.INTRODUCTIONThe behavior of axially loaded deep foundations is often analyzed using a technique known as the t-z method. In this method, deep foundation elements are broken into multiple segments which are supported by discrete nonlinear springs to capture the contribution of both side-friction (t-z springs) and end-bearing (Q-z springs). Hence, the t-z and Q-z relationships dictate the predicted load-settlement response. A number of different approaches have been developed to estimate load-transfer curves with some relying solely on empirical data from laboratory and field experiments (i.e. Coyle & Reese, 1966; Vijayvergiya, 1977) and others based mainly on analytical frameworks (i.e. Kraft et al., 1981; Randolph, 1994). Reese & O’Neill (1988) provide recommendations which are widely used for developing t-z and Q-z curves for analyzing drilled shafts. This method is hereafter referred to as Method 1 (M1). It should be noted that these empirically derived relationships are only applicable for problems associated with drilled shafts and are therefore not appropriate for developing load-transfer curves for other types of deep foundations (i.e. driven piles). This is because of the difference in the frictional resistance which can be developed between a circular concrete-soil interface as opposed to that of other materials (i.e. steel) and/or different cross sectional geometries.The M1 load-transfer curves form the basis for the t-z analysis of drilled shafts implemented in the computer program TZ-PILE (Ensoft, 2014). In light of this, TZ-PILE is employed herein as a reference to compare against the capabilities of another method of implementing t-z style analyses. This method is based on a semi-empirical framework for soil behavior developed by Norris (1986) and is implemented using the program CGI-DFSAP (Computers & GeoEngineering Inc., 2011). More information concerning this approach, hereafter referred to as Method 2 (M2), is given in subsequent sections."

Jan 1, 2017

By Patrick K. Wong, Richard Kelly

"The variability in strength and compressibility of in situ deep soil mixing products can be greater than the variability of the natural soil. However, satisfactory performance can be achieved by careful construction and an appropriate QA/QC program. This paper presents a case study on the use of deep dry soil mixing columns to support several embankments over soft clay along a highway project. Post-construction settlement monitoring indicated that good performance is achieved where the acceptance criteria are met, except in an area with high organic content. Embankments with contrasting performance are compared to the quality control test results which comprised laboratory testing of core samples as well as in situ test results such as pull-out and push-in vanes and conventional cone penetration tests. Drawing on the performance results and quality control testing, discussions and guidelines are given on quality assurance acceptance criteria and construction control testing regime for future projects.INTRODUCTIONBetween 2008 and 2012, the largest deep dry soil mixing (DSM) contract during that time in the southern hemisphere was carried out for the Ballina Bypass project. The project, comprising 12 km upgrade of the Pacific Highway located in northern New South Wales close to the border of Queensland, was commissioned by the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) of NSW. The ground improvement contractor was Keller Ground Engineering (KGE) Australia. Seven different types of ground improvement techniques were employed for the project, ranging from low embankment strategy with nominal preloading, to surcharge with wick drains, light weight bottom ash fill, DSM, vibro-replacement stone columns, dynamic replacement, and vacuum consolidation (installed by Menard Bachy Pty Ltd). Different techniques were chosen depending on time program, cost, and performance requirements relative to proximity to piled structures (e.g. bridge abutments) and post-construction settlement and differential settlement for either rigid or flexible pavements at different locations.DSM was the most utilized ground improvement technique employed on the project, comprising a total of about 285 km of 0.8 m diameter columns to depths up to 18 m for the purpose of supporting bridge approach embankments and culverts with embankment heights up to 6 m. DSM was chosen due to the very soft nature of the clay soil with moisture content practically at liquid limit, and the relative speed and economy of the system. Dry cement powder at rates of 160 kg/m3 to 200 kg/m3 were pneumatically discharged via the hollow stem of the mixing tool, and mixed with the soil (using multiple horizontally mounted paddles on a single vertical stem) at high speed as the mixing tool is withdrawn."

Jan 1, 2015

By Charles Pol Vuillier

Piling work for modification to the Charles Grimes Bridge in Melbourne, Australia required piles to be installed through 15 to 20 m thickness of very soft to soft silty clay overlying 10 m of stiff clays and sands in turn overlying siltstone. The presence of an old sewer founded at depth in the soft clays demanded that vibrations be kept to a minimum. Two pile type were used by Vibro-pile (Australia) to provide the client with the most economical piling price. The two pile types were CFA piles of 750mm diameter founded in the weathered rock and a full displacement concrete injected screw pile developed by Vibro-pile called the "Z" pile, founded on the rock. The development and features of the "Z" pile are briefly discussed, including the perceived applications and advantages of the pile type. On board instrumentation comprising a computer was used to monitor all aspects of the construction. The rig instrumentation provided an important quality control measure that gave confidence in the pile installed. Pile performance was proved on the cast in situ piles by dynamic load testing methods. Initially tests performed with a 120 kN drop hammer, which was not capable of mobilising the required loads. The performance was then satisfactorily proved by using a drop hammer of 20 tonne mass delivering blows drop heights of 1.5m. Low strain integrity tests on a number of piles were also used to confirm the structural integrity of the piles.

Jan 1, 2000

By Brian Wilson, John Scholte, Megan Atkinson

"In November 2004, the residents of the City of Nanaimo, B.C., Canada voted to approve a new conference centre as the centrepiece of a proposed revitalization project for the city’s historic downtown core. The proposal goal was to replace a cluster of derelict buildings with a dynamic and modern complex that would connect existing city facilities to a new conference facility, the Vancouver Island Conference Centre (VICC). The conference centre is expected to create 150 full-time jobs, attract visitors/ delegates from across North America and generate new economic opportunities for local businesses.However, the proposed site posed a number of geotechnical and geoenvironmental challenges. As is often the case with coastal cities, historic growth of the Nanaimo downtown and harbour area was achieved through reclamation of former waterfront areas and inlets. These areas were often infilled with random fills and even wastes, leaving a legacy of variable density heterogeneous fills contaminated with a variety of pollutants. Preliminary assessment of the site indicated a high likelihood of a requirement for deep foundations, a high risk of liquefaction in the event of an earthquake and the presence of both soil and groundwater contamination. Construction would be further complicated by the requirement for two levels of basement parking and the proximity of adjacent buildings and major roadways to the work area.With a limited budget (fixed by the referendum) and timeframe, the city needed a cost-effective solution to proceed with construction. A number of options were considered, but an innovative design using leading-edge Cutter Soil Mixer (CSM) technology best met the geotechnical and budgetary requirements of the site. The CSM approach also addressed the environmental concerns of contaminated soils and groundwater. Golder Associates Innovative Applications (GAIA) Inc., in association with the designers of their parent company Golder Associates Ltd. (Golder), proposed the CSM technology — at the time the first North American application."

Jan 1, 2008

By RavikiranVaidya, Vishal Dhamecha

Low Strain Pile Integrity Testing has been used in India since 1990’s and several have tried to demonstrate the utility and benefits of this method. However, use of this technology was limited till 1998 as not enough data maybe was not available to justify its use and application on major infrastructure and real estate projects. The first author has done significant work in this method resulting in its use in practically all sectors of the industry that use concrete bored pile foundations as a supporting element. The paper explains various signal enhancers or modifiers involved in processing of low strain test data and its implication on the final output. It also describes how the method can lead to abuse or can provide poor interpretation if incorrectly used. The current effort is to demonstrate that data collection and evaluation becomes complex with changes in soil stratum and pile profile. The paper highlights the present testing practices and provides a guideline for classification of pile integrity into few simple categories in Indian context rather than writing complex interpretations.

Sep 1, 2022

By Michael J. Brown

Load testing is important for controlling the quality of piled foundations. The Statnamic test is an alternative to existing testing methods with a load duration that lies between that for static and dynamic tests. Current methods of analysis offer excellent correlation between static and Statnamic tests for coarse-grained soils but often over-predict the capacity for fine-grained soils. Thus a calibration chamber is being used to produce instrumented beds of clay with reproducible properties. A model pile placed in the beds can be loaded at varying rates using a computer controlled servo-hydraulic system. Results from the modelling will be used to improve methods of analysis and govern the design of a full-scale study. Initial results suggest the rate effect can be represented by a power law relating pile velocity and resistance. Statnamic loading of the model pile produced large negative pore pressures in the clay bed.

Jan 1, 2002

By Pratik Goel, Sumanta Haldar

High-speed rail is an emerging area of interest in India. The Government of India is implementing prestigious bullet train projects in various parts of the country. High-speed rail (HSR) will be operating in India at about 320 kmph at an elevated track on a viaduct for most of the ongoing and upcoming corridors. High-speed projects in India necessitate an indigenous solution for design applications for viaduct design. Pile groups are extensively used in viaducts for high-speed trains, as they can be a settlement reducer and increase the bearing capacity. Post-construction settlement of pile foundation for high-speed railway viaduct is a concern of engineers. Limited attention has been paid to estimating the post-construction settlement. This paper aims to propose a prediction of the cumulative settlement of pile groups due to cyclic train loading. A three-dimensional finite element model (3D-FEM) of the pile group is established in Abaqus CAE. A suitable plastic model is used to simulate the subsoil. The pile group is modelled as an isotropic-elastic element. The study examines the influence of cyclic loading time and train speed on the settlement of the pile group. The analysis is carried out considering various single pile and pile group parameters like S/D, Ep/Es, L/D, Pile cap thickness, etc. and finally, an optimum configuration is suggested.

Sep 1, 2022

By Mike Muchard

Augered cast-in-place piles are one of the most cost effective deep foundation options available to designers but have been largely underutilized due to skepticism associated with quality assurance and hence capacity. When installed correctly, unit friction values can rival any other competing foundation system. To this end, many means have been implemented to increase confidence in the competence of the foundation. One such method is load testing via the Statnamic test method. This paper presents an overview of the Statnamic test method, advantages and disadvantages of its use, and several case studies where Statnamic testing of augered cast-in-place piles confirmed quality construction, brought about design changes, or proof tested problematic installations.

Jan 1, 2000

By Nicolas Denies, Jeroen de Leeuw, Bart Lameire, Jan Maertens, André Vervoort, Flip Hoefsloot, Noël Huybrechts, Flor De Cock

"In recent years, the Deep Mixing Method has increasingly been applied for the construction of earth and water retaining structures. From practice, it has been experienced that there is a real need to develop execution and design rules adapted to the function of the soil mix wall (retaining wall, water barrier, foundation solution or a combination) including the temporary or permanent character of the application. Based on the results of the BBRI Soil Mix project (2009-2013), a design approach has been developed in collaboration with the SBRCURnet. The present paper briefly discusses the principles of this design approach which takes into account the function of the soil mix wall and the characteristics of the soil mix material. The interaction between the soil mix material and the steel reinforcement can be considered in the calculations depending on the function of the soil mix wall. Design and quality control requirements are given in function of the application and take the lifetime of the structure into account. Durability aspects of the soil mix material are therefore considered in the present design approach.INTRODUCTIONSince several decades, the deep mixing method is used for ground improvement works. A more recent application is the use of soil mix as structural elements such as in the case of the earth-water retaining soil mix walls. Since 2000, due to the economic and environmental advantages of the method, this particular application has shown an amazing growth in Belgium and in the Netherlands. A typical excavation (16 m depth), realized with CSM (Cutter Soil Mix) panels, is shown in Fig. 1. For temporary applications, the questions related to the mechanical characteristics of the material, its permeability and its adherence with steel have been investigated with success within the framework of the BBRI Soil Mix project (2009- 2013) (see Denies et al. 2012 for more details). The durability of the soil mix material remains a complex topic while permanent applications are more and more observed in practice. In order to define an obvious design approach, it was necessary to clarify the potential functions of soil mix walls and to establish the requirements related to their design and construction. The BBRI (in Belgium) and SBRCURnet (in the Netherlands) have therefore worked together to publish guidelines in the form of a handbook titled ‘Soil Mix Walls’ (publication foreseen in 2015). In this handbook, a methodology is proposed for the design of the soil mix walls for which the interaction between steel and soil mix can possibly be taken into account dependent upon the application. Each potential function of the soil mix wall is described (e.g. earth retaining wall, cut-off wall, etc.) and the temporary or permanent character of the application is always considered."

Jan 1, 2015

By Jason Buenker, Molly Winston

Torque-installed piles are gaining popularity in Southern California as the go-to deep foundation element for small- to medium-capacity loads in urban environments. The torque-installed pile is a displacement- based screwed pipe pile with a closed-end conical tip welded to the bottom of the pipe. Torque-installed piles are most efficient in loose to medium dense soils with high liquefaction potential. Where used properly, torque-installed piles can be installed faster, require less clean-up, and create less onsite vibration/disturbance than other pile alternatives. However, torque-installed piles are not applicable in all soil conditions and care must be used to apply the pile effectively in the correct subsurface environment. This paper will review current Southern California state-of-the-practice for torque-installed pile design and construction, potential roadblocks to successful installation, and available capacities from load tests. INTRODUCTION Torque-installed piles are a type of full-displacement screwed pipe pile originally developed in Southern California circa 2001 by Substructure Support, Inc. The pile is unique for its proprietary closed-end conical tip shown in Fig. 1. The tip has a welded steel-helix plate and cutter teeth that allow the pile to be advanced efficiently under applied torque and down pressure (crowd). Since original development of the pile, several contractors or manufacturers have proposed similar proprietary screw-type piles with comparable conical tips. Pile installation is relatively quiet, vibration-free, does not generate spoils, and faster than comparable pile types. The pile was originally developed as an alternative to driven pile foundations and remains a critical substitute to driven foundations in urban environments. Torque-installed piles are conventionally specified as 12 ¾-inch outside diameter (OD) steel pipes with a ⅜-inch-thick wall, although larger sizes with alternative dimensions have been used outside Southern California. Pile installation lengths generally range from 30 to 50 feet but may reach 80 feet or greater where soil conditions permit. The pile is generally backfilled with concrete following installation to increase lateral pile stiffness and may incorporate rebar cages or other reinforcing steel to facilitate connections to structural elements. The pile is frequently specified using performance-based specifications that encourage contractor innovation and use of proprietary installation means and methods.

Jan 1, 2019

By Bill Shea, Gordon King

"For a drainage channel built in San Juan, Puerto Rico, a value engineering (VE) proposal incorporating a secant pile top-down approach saved time and facilitated construction work on the larger flood control project. The channel, at the Bechara Industrial Area, Puerto Nuevo Port Facility and the Puerto Rico Maritime Shipping Authority Dock, was needed to allow drainage of the Rio Puerto Nuevo into San Juan Bay. The port area, one of the busiest in the Caribbean, has over 6,000 ft (1,800 m) of berthing wharves for ocean-going container ships along with over 500,000 sq ft (46,000 m²) of container loading and unloading areas, and is critical to the local economy.Planners wanted to minimize the impact of construction to the port and dock users, and developed a construction methodology and work sequencing that would prevent a complete barrier to port traffic. This plan involved non-contiguous and limited work area that “leapfrogged” along the alignment so as to prevent long barriers to lateral traffic movement across the culvert alignment.After reviewing the project plans and schedule, Morris-Shea Bridge Company (MSB) proposed an alternate design and construction approach that provided significant cost and schedule benefits, and also provided better access for the port and dock users. The alternate VE proposal involved top-down construction methodology and redesigned drainage culvert geometry with two parallel 2,000 linear ft (lf) (600 m) secant walls installed on each side of the culvert. These walls facilitated excavation and formed part of the culvert permanent walls. The result was a significantly reduced required construction right of way that allowed construction work in contiguous areas largely without impact on ongoing port activity. MSB conceived the design concept, and engineered design and construction of the VE alternate secant pile culvert.The project initially consisted of an open channel in the industrial area picking up water from the existing Rio Puerto Nuevo, transitioning to an enclosed culvert through the port and dock areas, and outfall through the existing dock. The base bid construction included three main areas of work:"

Jan 1, 2012