Eighth International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering
A First Step in Building on a Mine Tailings Superfund Site Part 2: Full-Scale Footing Load Tests
Publication: Geo-Congress 2019: Engineering Geology, Site Characterization, and Geophysics (GSP 311)
ABSTRACT
The legacy of mining in the Salt Lake Valley has left a large mine tailings impoundment centrally located in the Salt Lake City urban corridor, where high real estate prices and prime location couple to make development on mine tailings worth considering. A conventional foundation design approach would have involved installing deep foundations through the variable and highly compressible tailings. However, costs and a complex environmental cap made deep foundations less desirable. So, to design structures for these unique subsurface conditions a detailed test program augmented with full-scale footing load tests was performed. These tests proved that buildings could be constructed on the tailings, without resorting to deep foundations. This paper presents the results of the footing load tests, discusses the potential causes of the unusual settlement behavior observed, and explains the logistics involved in conducting footing load tests and accurately measuring the very small settlement rates observed.
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REFERENCES
Bureau of Reclamation, (1999), Sharon Steel/Midvale Tailings Operational Unit No. 1, Remedial Action.
Davis, D.D. (2000). Geologic Map of the Midvale Quadrangle, Salt Lake County, Utah, UGS Map 177, Scale 1:24,000
Foster, B.F., Lingwall, B.N., Parkhill, S.T., Moriarty, M. (2019). Large Test Fills on Mine Tailings; a First Step in Building on a Superfund Site, 2019 GeoCongress, ASCE, 2019.
Saye, S.R., Ladd, C.C., Gerhardt, P.C., Pilz, J., and Volk, J.C. (2001). Embankment Construction in and Urban Environment: the Interstate I15 Experience, in Foundations and Ground Improvement, ASCE Geotechnical Specialty Publication No. 113, Virginia Tech, 842-857.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Geo-Congress 2019: Engineering Geology, Site Characterization, and Geophysics (GSP 311)
Pages: 49 - 61
Editors: Christopher L. Meehan, Ph.D., University of Delaware, Sanjeev Kumar, Ph.D., Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Miguel A. Pando, Ph.D., University of North Carolina Charlotte, and Joseph T. Coe, Ph.D., Temple University
ISBN (Online): 978-0-7844-8213-1
Copyright
© 2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Mar 21, 2019
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Buildings
- Design (by type)
- Engineering fundamentals
- Environmental engineering
- Field tests
- Footings
- Foundation design
- Foundations
- Full-scale tests
- Geotechnical engineering
- Load factors
- Load tests
- Mine wastes
- Pollutants
- Shallow foundations
- Structural design
- Structural engineering
- Structures (by type)
- Tests (by type)
- Waste management
- Waste sites
- Wastes
Authors
Metrics & Citations
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