Investigation and Repair of a Four-Story Building Damaged by Yazoo Clay
Publication: Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 25, Issue 1
Abstract
Construction of buildings using a slab on grade and belled drilled piers to support column loads in central Mississippi has performed poorly. Similar buildings where the first floor was poured on 15.2 cm (6 in.) cardboard box forms have not fared much better. The first floor of this building was a slab on grade that was dowelled to a grid of grade beams. The grade beams were dowelled to drilled piers. The top of the expansive Yazoo clay varied from 1.8 to 3.66 m (5.9–12 ft) deep. High swell pressures developed under the slab and began to lift the building. A frame analysis showed that foundation movements were significantly changing the stresses of the structural steel frame. About half of the drilled piers of the building were found to be damaged near the connection with the grade beam. Two piers had separations of 10.2 and 8.9 cm (4 and 3.5 in.). During the foundation repair, the building frame was releveled and eight damaged piers were replaced. Recommendations to reduce the risk of this kind of damage were made.
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Acknowledgments
The writer thanks the property owner that permitted the use of all the research and documentation used in this paper. Agreements limit the disclosure of specific names, places, and some of the original construction. The writer also thanks J.A. Moss Construction, general contractor for the repair, and Rodco Drilling, which installed the new drilled piers.
References
Douglas, S. C., and Dunlap, G. T. (2000). “Light commercial construction on Yazoo clay.” Proc., 2nd Forensic Congress, ASCE, Reston, VA, 607–616.
Laier, J. E., and Lamar, J. H. (1980). “Minimizing foundation swell in Yazoo clay.” Proc., 4th Int. Conf. on Expansive Soils, Vol. 1, ASCE, Reston, VA, 421–437.
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© 2011 ASCE.
History
Received: Jul 8, 2009
Accepted: Oct 30, 2009
Published online: Nov 21, 2009
Published in print: Feb 2011
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