Operational Limits of Measuring while Drilling in Florida Limestone for Geotechnical Site Characterization
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 147, Issue 12
Abstract
Rock coring is an essential method of geotechnical site characterization for foundations supported by rock, in which three possible phases of operation exist: inefficient, optimized, and destructive. When operating within the optimized phase, core recoveries and the rock quality designation reflect the strata encountered. However, the optimized phase is rarely achieved in practice, leading to deficiencies in strength assessment and geotechnical site characterization. This paper identifies the operational limits that separate each phase of rock coring by using measuring while drilling (MWD) and quantifies the increased energy that results from an inadequate depth of cut (Phase 1), the effects of breaking rock particles into smaller sizes, and the damage that occurs to core specimens from increased frictional resistance (Phase 3), as well as the effect rock strength and bit geometry have on mechanical efficiency. Drilling parameter interdependencies are discussed and detailed guidelines to assess rock strength in situ via MWD are provided. Finally, recommended coring guidelines are established through MWD which optimize the quantity and quality of strength assessments collected to improve geotechnical site characterization.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The assistance of the FDOT’s State Materials Office as well as the district and central office geotechnical engineers is greatly appreciated. The authors would like to thank the FDOT’s Geotechnical Field Specialists: Bruce Swidarski, Todd Britton, Kyle Sheppard, and Travis “Dalton” Stevens, its Geotechnical Laboratory Manager Bill Greenwood and Geotechnical Laboratory Specialists Mike Risher. Without your assistance, this research would not have been possible. The authors also would like to thank Michel Lariau from Jean Lutz. This work was supported by the FDOT’s State Materials Office through Research Contract No. BDV31-820-006. The opinions, findings and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the FDOT or the USDOT.
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Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 147 • Issue 12 • December 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 17, 2020
Accepted: Jul 28, 2021
Published online: Sep 29, 2021
Published in print: Dec 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Feb 28, 2022
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