Effects of Construction-Induced Stresses on Dynamic Soil Parameters of Bootlegger Cove Clays
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 140, Issue 4
Abstract
This paper presents the influence of construction-induced stress changes on the dynamic soil parameters of Bootlegger Cove Formation (BCF) clays at the site of the Port of Anchorage (POA) expansion project. Results are presented based on numerical simulations of the POA wharf construction and laboratory experimentation where both free-field and postconstruction conditions are reproduced. The postconstruction stability of the foundation clay is considered under both static and dynamic loadings. For the dynamic case, a cyclic triaxial loading equivalent to the contingency-level earthquake (CLE) established for design was used, whereas for the static case, undrained triaxial compression and extension loadings to failure were employed. The results from numerical simulations and laboratory experiments are presented and compared with field measurements and performance data collected during the project construction. The results obtained from specially designed cyclic triaxial probes show the large effects that the construction-induced stresses can have on the dynamic soil parameters and illustrate the importance of adequately considering such effects. Testing protocols and procedures are proposed for quantifying postconstruction soil parameters to better reflect field values and values at small (and otherwise appropriate) strain levels.
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Acknowledgments
Financial support for this work was provided by National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant No. 0758304 of the Geotechnical Engineering (GTE) program. This research was also possible because of the contribution of GeoEngineers and PND Engineers. The support of Dr. Richard Fragaszy, Program Director at NSF, and both Dr. Gordon Denby, Chief Operating Officer, and Mr. King Chin, Associate, of GeoEngineers is greatly appreciated.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 140 • Issue 4 • April 2014
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 16, 2012
Accepted: Nov 18, 2013
Published online: Dec 17, 2013
Published in print: Apr 1, 2014
Discussion open until: May 17, 2014
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