Experimental Investigation of Grouted Helical Piers for Use in Foundation Rehabilitation
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 134, Issue 9
Abstract
Building rehabilitation is critical for numerous older urban areas, many of which have inadequate foundations to support new demands. Consequently, development of practical methods to strengthen existing foundations is crucial. In engineering practice, both subsurface grouting and helical piers have been widely used to address these issues by strengthening the foundation. If the solid shaft of a typical helical pier is replaced by a hollow shaft, then helical piers provide the ability to deliver grout. It is hypothesized that these grouted helical pier systems could address foundation strengthening needs. This paper presents findings from an exploratory research program where grouting and pier placement tools were developed and tested on the large geotechnical centrifuge at the University of California, Davis. Experimental methods and procedures developed are presented, and observations regarding the formation of grout bulbs under different conditions are analyzed. Physical observation of the test specimens indicates that average grout bulb diameters of 0.6–1.9 times the helix diameter are attainable. For similar grout mixes, 20–50% larger grout bulbs can be attained by adding just a modest amount of injection pressure. Future research may use these results to develop load performance data.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Civil and Mechanical Systems Division of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) (CMS-0513972), where Dr. Richard Fragaszy is the program director. NEES Operations and Maintenance funding supports the operation of the centrifuge at UC Davis (NSF Award CMS-0402490). Grouted materials were donated by Surecrete, Inc. and DeNeef Construction Chemicals. Assistance was provided by UC Davis centrifuge staff, in particular Chad Justice and Lars Pederson. Helpful suggestions and technical input were provided by Dean White of Concrete Technologies and Russell Lindsey of Precision Pier USA, Inc. Opinions, findings, and conclusions in this paper are those of the writers, and do not necessarily reflect those of the sponsoring organization.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 134 • Issue 9 • September 2008
Pages: 1280 - 1289
Copyright
© 2008 ASCE.
History
Received: Jun 27, 2007
Accepted: Jan 28, 2008
Published online: Sep 1, 2008
Published in print: Sep 2008
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