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Civil Engineer Question

The document discusses common problems that can occur with piling and gravity retaining walls. For piling, it describes issues such as unexpected soil conditions causing piles to drive deeper than expected or laterally displace existing piles. It also discusses changes in blow count indicating shallow bedrock or pile toe damage. For gravity walls, it summarizes problems like insufficient drainage leading to wall sliding, lack of reinforcement at the wall front allowing only compression strength, improper reinforcement placement causing cracking, and poor construction practices compromising wall integrity.

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45 views3 pages

Civil Engineer Question

The document discusses common problems that can occur with piling and gravity retaining walls. For piling, it describes issues such as unexpected soil conditions causing piles to drive deeper than expected or laterally displace existing piles. It also discusses changes in blow count indicating shallow bedrock or pile toe damage. For gravity walls, it summarizes problems like insufficient drainage leading to wall sliding, lack of reinforcement at the wall front allowing only compression strength, improper reinforcement placement causing cracking, and poor construction practices compromising wall integrity.

Uploaded by

alomartaylor
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Based on your knowledge of international best practices, identify the

problems that exist with


- Piling
- Gravity retaining walls

Pile driving is a direct interaction with the soil or elements found within the earth, there is a window for
unintended or unknown problem to exist. At times when such problems are present in pile driving its
usually related to unexpected soil condition, and this is common whether its concrete, wood or steel pile
being driving.
Decrease resistance causes piles to increase depth
When piles are driving considerably deeper than expected, it may be because soil resistance at the time of
driving is lower than anticipated, or because the driving system performance is better than anticipated.
Perform restrike tests after an appropriate waiting period to evaluate soil strength changes.[ CITATION
Jua19 \l 1033 ].

Lateral Movement When New Piles Are Driven


When existing piles move, it is often because of soil displacement as new piles are driven. Possible
solutions include redriving the installed piles, changing the sequence of pile installation, or predrilling the
pile locations to reduce ground movements. Lateral pile movements can also be caused by soil failure in
the adjacent slope.[ CITATION Jua19 \l 1033 ]

Blow Count for Bearing Piles Changes or Decreases


The pile can be interrupted by change in the soil type its passing through, if you find the blow count for
an individual or group of pilings change or decrease, best assumption would to believe that the bed rock
in such area is shallow. A soil investigation should be done by checking the soil conditions using boring.
If that turns up empty handed the next educated assumption would be that the pile toe is damage, if such
pile allows internal inspection, this could be check by lowering a light source to inspect for damage.
[ CITATION Jua19 \l 1033 ]

Piles Are Driving Out of Alignment


Piles can be driving out of alignment due to angle that the hammer strikes the pile or soil condition, when
piles move out of alignment due hammer pile configuration a pile gate, template, or fixed lead system
may improve the ability to maintain alignment. [ CITATION Jua19 \l 1033 ]
Gravity walls are considered externally stabilized walls as these walls use self-weight to resist lateral
pressures due to earth and water. Gravity walls usually fail by rigid-body mechanisms such as sliding
and/or overturning or by gross instability.
Surface Drainage Problems
Water can be hazardous if not dealt with in the correct manor, this principle applies to gravity walls also.
If the wall is poorly design with insufficient drainage system, there will be an accumulation of water at
the back face of the wall. If left unattended this will escalate and may cause sliding, which is the failure
due the loss of horizontal equilibrium when the pressure at the back of the wall overwhelm the slipe
resistance at the base.[ CITATION Mad09 \l 1033 ]

Impact of not reinforce the front of the wall


The base thickness is increased to reinforce the front of the wall through placing concrete and tapering to
an extent that thickening is no longer required. This method improves compression strength only
therefore shear transferring at the interface should be tackled as well. Interface shear can be transferred by
fixing dowel pins.[ CITATION Mad09 \l 1033 ]

Wall Failure due to Improper Reinforcement Placement


Reinforcement size, depth, and spacing should be checked when wall stem exhibits sign if issues such as
cracking and extreme deflections. Reinforcement size and depth can be determined either by devices for
example magnetic field measuring tachometer. This device is used to determine reinforcement position
and depth up to around 100 mm with acceptable accuracy or to achieve more accurate measurement. This
device can also locate steel bars and chip out concrete to find out the precise reinforcement size and
depth.[ CITATION Mad09 \l 1033 ]

Retaining Wall Failure due to Poor Construction


Poor construction practices might be due to unscrupulous or inexperienced contractor works that is
carried out as with a lack of standards and specified plans. Inadequate mortar, or grouting, or improper
steel reinforcement placements are compelling examples of poor construction. [ CITATION Mad09 \l
1033 ]
References
Hamakareem, M. I. (2009). https://theconstructor.org/structural-engg/retaining-wall-distress-
failures/15423/. Retrieved from theconstructor.org.

Rodriguez, J. (2019, 11 20). https://www.thebalancesmb.com/common-pile-driving-problems-and-


solutions-844786. Retrieved from www.thebalancesmb.com.

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