Application of Geotechnical Engineering
in Construction Industry and Beyond
By
Dr Myint Win BO, Ph.D, P.Eng, P.Geo, IntPE
Senior Principal/Director (Geo-Services)
DST Consulting Engineers Inc.
Adjunct Professor
University of Ottawa, Lakehead University, Canada &
Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
OUT LINES OF LECTURE
• Introduction
• Ground Investigation
• Laboratory Testing
• Evolution of Geotechnical Theories & Soil Mechanics
• Geotechnical Analyses
• Ground Improvement
• Ground Engineering
• Geotechnical Instrumentation & Observational method
• Preparation for the Future
What are the Civil Engineering
Constructions?• Buildings
• Roads, Highways, Railways, subways, Bridges & Causeways
• Runways &Airports
• Marine Structures, ports, costal protections
• Tunneling , Excavations & underground structures
• Dams & Tailing Dams
• Hydropower plants, Wind Firms, Nuclear Power Plants
• Communication towers
• Land Reclamations
• Landfills and waste disposals
GROUND INVESTIGATION
• BORING , SAMPLING &
STANDARD PENETRATION TEST
•CONE PENETRATION TEST
• FIELD VANE SHEAR TEST
• SELF BORING PRESSUREMETER
• DILATOMETER
• BAT- PERMEAMETER
• IN - SITU PERMEABILITY TEST
• AUTO - RAM SOUNDING TEST
• GAMMA - GAMMA LOGGING
• CONE PRESSUREMETER
• NUCLEAR METER TEST
For profiling and characterization of the seabed soils and also
to check the characteristic of improved soils.
For profiling and to measure the Cone Resistance, Friction and
Penetration Pore Pressure to interprete Shear Strength, OCR and
Coefficient of Horizontal Consolidation Ch for cohesive soil.
To measure improved densification of granular soil.
To measure Initial Undrained Shear Strength and improved
undrained Shear Strength of cohesive soils.
To measure In-Situ lateral stress, Shear modulus,
Undrained Shear Strength, Friction Angle and Coefficient
of Horizontal Consolidation Ch.
To measure In-Situ lateral stress, Shear modulus, Undrained Shear Strength,
Friction Angle and Coefficient of Horizontal Consolidation Ch.
To measure in-situ Permeability of soils.
To measure in-situ Permeability of soils.
To measure Dynamic Driving Resistance of Soils
To measure Bulk Density of soils.
To measure initial and improved Modulus of Soils.
To measure initial bulk and dry density and water content of soils.
DESCRIPTION PURPOSE
OFFSHORE SITE INVESTIGATION SHIP
Drilling & Standard Penetration Test
(SPT)
International standard
Hammer weight – 63.5 kg
Drop height – 760 mm
Total penetration – initial seating drive or 150 mm +
300 mm
Driving mechanism – Guide/free fall
Trip mechanism
Donut/safety
60 ° cone for granular soilSize of borehole – between 65-115 mm
Measured parameter – N value = blow counts / 0.3 m
FIELD VANE TEST (FVT)
Dimension - B = 55 or 65 mm
- H = 110 or 130 mm
- Inserted depth - 4B
- Waiting time - 5 minutes
- Rotation rate - 12 degree per minutes
- 25 times rotation for remolding
GENOR FIELD VANE BLADEFIELD VANE TEST IN PROGRESS
CONE PENETROMETER (CPT)
• Cone Resistance (qc)
• Friction (fs)
• Pore Pressure (u)
• Inclination (i)
• Friction Ratio (fr)
• Pore Pressure Ratio (ur)
Using above parameters and applying Robertson and Campanella (1983), Robertson (1990), soil classification could be carried out.
DILATOMETER
TEST (DMT)
- Measured pressures on the
membrane.
- Type of soil could be classified.
- Cu , Modulus, Ko , OCR could be
interpreted.
- Ch & Kh could be interpreted
STRESS-STRAIN CURVE
from SBPT
- Strain Control during loading.
- Stress Control during loading
& unloading.
- Modulus could be obtained
from slope.
SELF BORING PRESSURE
METER(SBPT)
- Self boring mechanism
included
- Could be obtain fit size cylinder
- Following could be interpreted
- Modulus - Cu
- Ch - Kh
- OCR - Ko
LABORATORY TESTING
•BULK DENSITY TEST
• MOISTURE CONTENT TEST
• ATTERBERG LIMIT TEST
• PARTICLE - SIZE DISTRIBUTION TEST
• DIRECT SIMPLE SHEAR TEST
•LAB VANE TEST
•TRI - AXIAL COMPRESSION TEST
• CONSOLIDATION TEST
• ROWE CELL TEST
To measure initial and improved Bulk Density of soils.
To measure initial and Improved Water Content of soils.
To measure Liquid limit, Plastic Limit, Plastic Index,
Activity for the purpose of classification.
To measure grain size distribution of soils for
classification.
To measure initial and improved Undrained / Drained
Shear Strength.
To measure initial and improved Undrained
Shear Strength.
To measure initial and improved Undrained / Drained
Shear Strength.
To measure coefficient of consolidation Cv,
Compression Index Cc, Initial and improved
Preconsolidation Pressure Pc.
To measure Coefficient of Consolidation due to
horizontal direction Ch.
TYPE OF TEST PURPOSE
Shear Strength of Geological Material
• UUC
• UU
• CIU
• CID
• Cko U
• Cko D
• Stress Path
• Strain Path
• Direct Simple Shear
• Hollow Cylinder Test
Sleeping – No
strength
Standing - more
strength
Walking – Much
more strength
Running –
Highest strength
Too much mobilized –
Residual strength
SOIL STRENGTH IS NOT UNIQUE, MOBILIZE DEPENDS UPON STRAIN, STRESS LEVELS & RATE
OF STRAIN
High sensitivity
Medium sensitivity
Low sensitivity
16
Modes of Failure'1
'3
'1
'3 '3
'1
Simple Shear (SS)
Triaxial
Extension (TE)
Stress direction is
different than SS
and Triaxial
Triaxial
Compression (TC)
Stress state along a Potential Failure surface
NO (A) (B) (C)
DEFORMATION&
PRINCIPLESTRESS
TEST TYPEEXTENTION
TESTDIRECT SIMPLE
SHEAR TESTCOMPRESSION
TEST
TESTEQUIPMENT
GDS STRESSPATH SYSTEM
DIRECT SIMPLESHEAR
APPARATUS
TRIAXIALCOMPRESSION
TESTAPPARATUS
AD
Construction begin
with basement 1.5 m deep - 1173
Completed 3 stories and
stopped due to politic and debt - 1178
(but tower already tilted to south)
Restarted with compensated weight
at the North to counter act tilt - 1272
Completed seventh stories
Tower titled south by 1 ° (0.8 m) - 1278 Constructed top Bell chamber
with compensated weight on North by adding more steps - 1360
Completed 200 ft (80 m) highTower and officially open - 1370
TOTAL OF NEARLY 200 YEARS CONSTRUCTION PERIODTOTAL WEIGHT – 1 445 tonnes
In 1990 degree of tilt reached 5.5 ° and predicted to be fallen by 2050
Placed counterweight 600 tonnes -1993 Attempted to stabilize by ground freezing -1995
(but increased the lean) Stopped by putting counter weight 870 tonnes -1995 Extracted soils with 8 inches diameter drill holes -1999
SUCCESSFULLY MAKE TO LEAN BACK TOWARD THE
CENTER BY 0.5 m which is same degree of lean as in 1838
Vertical drains accelerate settlements but do not reduce final
movement (after Hausmann)
GROUND IMPROVEMENT
&
GROUND ENGINEERING
Land Reclamation for Chick Lap Kok
International Airport, Hong kong
Land Reclamation for
Changi Internatinal Airport,
Singapore
SOIL PROFILE AT KANSAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SITE
Fill thickness – 30 m
Predicted settlement – 8 m
Settlement to date – 13 m
Settlement after construction – 5 m
4 totally collapsed, 4
partially collapsed, 9
major damage, 18
moderately damage
5 months supported
with rubbles
Re-installed 1000
anchors
It took a year to remove
the rubbles
Affected 406 buildings
All types of material in the universe are deformable.
Deformation can beLinear or non-linear
Recoverable or non-recoverable
Recoverable - Elastic
Non-recoverable - Plastic
Soil deformation is elasto-visco plastic
Additional stresses imposed on the soils - Varied in magnitudes
- & Directions
- Also varied in rate of
loading
Prediction Performances
GEOTECHNICAL
INSTRUMENTATION &
OBSERVATIONAL METHOD
•DEEP REFERENCE POINT
• PIEZOMETERS
(a) Pneumatic piezometer
(b) Electric vibrating wire piezometer
• CASAGRANDE OPEN TYPE PIEZOMETER
• SURFACE SETTLEMENT PLATE
• DEEP SETTLEMENT GAUGE
• MULTI - LEVEL SETTLEMENT GAUGE
• LIQUID SETTLEMENT GAUGE
• WATER STAND PIPE
• INCLINOMETER
• EARTH PRESSURE CELL
GEOTECHNICAL INSTRUMENTATION
Bench mark for elevation monitoring of soil instrument
To monitor the dissipation of Excess Pore Pressure
To check the drainage condition.
To monitor ground settlement.
To monitor settlement of various sub layers at various
levels.
To monitor settlement of various sub layers at various
levels
To monitor ground settlement.
To monitor the static water level.
To monitor the lateral ground movement.
To measure the total pressure.
INSTRUMENT PURPOSE
Receives Data
Transmits Data
Traveling
by Train
At Home
In your Car
Antenna
Solar
Panel
• 21st Century
• Wireless Technology
Traveling
by Plane
HELPING THE WORLD IN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND
PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE
Waste Management
Solid waste (Landfill)
Liquid waste (deep injection)
Nuclear waste
Global Climate Change
Renewable energy
Carbon Auditing
Carbon capturing
Prevention of salt water intrusion
Flood prevention (Harricane Katrina)
Tsunami monitoring
Natural hazard identification and monitoring
Health outbreak
Food and mouth disease
H1N1
Environmental assessment
for final destination
WASTE MECHANICS
Stability of landfill
Settlement of landfill
Deformation of liner and cap
Hydraulic conductivity of waste
Highly variable both in strength
and compressibility
In addition to pore leachate
pressure, gas pressure also involve
Deformation due to
Biodegradation
Prevent contaminant migration
to surface and groundwater
receptors
Contaminants migrate not only
due to hydraulic gradient but also
due to thermal and concentration
gradient
Gas generation
HELPING THE WORLD IN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND
PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE
Waste Management
Solid waste (Landfill)
Liquid waste (deep injection)
Nuclear waste
Global Climate Change
Renewable energy
Carbon Auditing
Carbon capturing
Prevention of salt water intrusion
Flood prevention (Harricane Katrina)
Tsunami monitoring
Natural hazard identification and monitoring
Health outbreak
Food and mouth disease
H1N1
Environmental assessment
for final destination
Concrete In Fill, 157.54
Steel, 64.55
Prelims, 0.32
Site Labour
Transport, 0.04
Construction Plant,
9.78
Waste, 2.08
Total Embodied CO2
Piles
Approximate Total Embodied CO2 = 234.31 t
Wick Drains,
9.33Prelims, 0.56
Site Labour
Transport, 0.01
Construction Plant,
4.29
Waste, 0.00
Total Embodied CO2
Wick Drains
Approximate Total Embodied CO2 = 14.19 t
HELPING THE WORLD IN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND
PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE
Waste Management
Solid waste (Landfill)
Liquid waste (deep injection)
Nuclear waste
Global Climate Change
Renewable energy
Carbon Auditing
Carbon capturing
Prevention of salt water intrusion
Flood prevention (Harricane Katrina)
Tsunami monitoring
Natural hazard identification and monitoring
Health outbreak
Food and mouth disease
H1N1
Environmental assessment
for final destination
CONCLUSION
Geotechnical Engineering has been applied NOT
only in construction but also in:
• Rescuing valuable heritage structures
• Exploring new lands for human being
• Demolition of heavy structures
• Transporting heavy equipments
• Protecting Environment we are living