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Recent content by SoilRocks

  1. SoilRocks

    Allowable Stress Design (ASD) / Shallow Foundations

    1 (deep foundation pullout), 3, and 4 would be ASD. Uplift/Flotation could be different depending on what you are working on. I would suggest flotation would be more limit equilibrium. Eccentricity? Might need a structural to answer that one.
  2. SoilRocks

    correlation between modulus of subgrade and pmt test

    Killswitchengage - You are fine just using assumed properties for industrial floor design for forklift and rack loads, or better yet, get a sample of the import fill, and run a CBR or R-value and correlate to subgrade modulus. Multiple PCC and other correlations have good correlations for the...
  3. SoilRocks

    Settle3D Question

    Thanks all for the help. I had to go old school and solve this one by hand. I talked to Rocscience, and I guess Settle3D will not allow you to set the excavation phase as a reference stage for the purpose of tracking Modulus of Soil Subgrade as the load is applied. Definitely a shortcoming...
  4. SoilRocks

    Detached garage slab - control joints

    ALWAYS put in control joints. The very general rule of thumb is to keep the sections square as possible, and to space the control joints at a maximum of about 24 times the slab thickness. So, if a slab is 5 inches thick, put the control joints at 10 feet (Reinforcement helps extend that). For...
  5. SoilRocks

    correlation between modulus of subgrade and pmt test

    I assume you are referring to a pressuremeter test. You probably could get some elastic properties from a test (initial loading) in homogenous materials at a similar depth (I assume near surface). This would only be relevant for very shallow influence loads in unsaturated soils. For instance...
  6. SoilRocks

    Opinion on Masters degree program

    They are all outstanding schools. I'd probably go Illinois, Viginia Tech, UT Austin. Of course, if I went back to graduate school right now, I would go to UC Davis. Other great geotechnical schools: UC Berkeley, UCLA, Purdue, Georgia Tech Honorable mention: NC State, Oregon State I'm...
  7. SoilRocks

    Crane load surcharge on retaining wall

    7500 psf is pretty typical for a track pad on a crane. Pressures can also go higher. However, most of the time, cranes are near restrained shoring or restrained basement walls. Putting a crane behind a cantilever wall seems pretty tenuous to me, especially if you are applying the surcharge...
  8. SoilRocks

    Settle3D Question

    I have a question for all the Settle3D experts out there. In working with an excavation, I set up stages (Initial, Dewater, Excavation, Load). There is some settlement from dewatering, and some significant rebound from the excavation phase. I want to show settlement due to load starting at...
  9. SoilRocks

    Overconsolidated or underconsolidated clay determination

    The material appears to obviously be a soft clay - very soft (or some other collapsible soil). I drew a quick field curve, and calculated (roughly) a modified consolidation ratio (strain based) of 0.70! This could be mud in a marsh or soft marine deposit? Organics? The consolidation curve...
  10. SoilRocks

    Pile Driving Design (Hand Calculation) Example

    I think the biggest concern of high blows during driving is the potential for damage to the pile, followed by some assurance that you are achieving the design capacity. Presumably you wouldn't be installing piles without an approved design. It is typical to perform driveability analysis of a...
  11. SoilRocks

    re: Multi-Layer Elastic Analysis Software

    All - I used to use Everstress (Washington DOT) to review strains, stresses and deflections due to loading to model different scenarios for pavement rehabilitation, but, it is no longer available and the old version doesn't work on Windows anymore. Any suggestions on free or commercial...
  12. SoilRocks

    Driveability of Steel Casing in Soil

    ...or hire GRL to do a WEAP analysis for a tough condition. They wrote the book... [glasses]
  13. SoilRocks

    Soil sub-grade modulus

    Ihab - Soil subgrade modulus is a model element. Soil subgrade modulus is not a characteristic of the soil - that is the first concept to understand, and I think you do. Then, the model element (k) that you use should represent the actual load (contact pressure) divided the expected...
  14. SoilRocks

    Frozen Ground Case History

    I remember a case history of a historic structure with a freezer that was redeveloped. After much distress, an engineering firm decided that the ground was still frozen under the structure and the distress was from thawing ground. Does anyone remember that case history? Would love to find it...
  15. SoilRocks

    LPile - Number of Cycles for Wind Loading

    I've never asked this question, although I always wrestle with it. How many strong cycles in an earthquake is pretty well documented based on a controlling magnitude event, but in designing piles for lateral loads due to wind loading, I typically use 100's of cycles, and typically look at...

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