Pile Selection and Design: Lock and Dam No. 26 (Replacement)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Transportation Research Record 884 45 large open-end diesel hammers. Difficulties during Division, ASCE (Illinois Section), 1973. production driving were practically nonexistent. 2. G.G. Goble, G. Likins, and F. Rausche. Bearing 3. Dynamic-capacity predictions agreed well with Capacity of Piles from Dynamic Measurements, the static load test results. Final Report. Ohio Department of Transportation, 4. Measured hammer performance was poorer than Columbus, and Department of Solid Mechanics, Case predicted in most cases. Thus, construction control Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, Rept. OHIO by using dynamic measurements or static load tests DOT-05-75, March 1975. is necessary as design loads are increased. 3. F. Rausche, F. Moses, and G.G. Goble. Soil 5. A preliminary test program of the type con Resistance Predictions from Pile Dynamics. ducted here can be expected to save large amounts of Journal of the Soil Mechanics and Foundations money. Division, ASCE, Vol. 98, No. SM9, Proc. Paper 9220, Sept. 1972. REFERENCES 1. M.T. Davisson. High Capacity Piles. In Proc., Notice: The Transportation Resrorch Board does not endorse products or Soil Mechanics Lecture Ser ies--Innovation in manufacturers. Trade and manufacturers' names appear in this paper because Foundation Construction, Soil and Mechanics they are considered essential to its object. Pile Selection and Design: Lock and Dam No. 26 (Replacement) BRUCE H. MOORE Lock and Dam No. 26 is a major navigation structure on the Mississippi River river bottom attended this failure. The construc some 25 miles north of St. Louis, Missouri. At the site there is a large, un tion of the riverward auxiliary lock was done in balanced horizontal water load of 24 ft. The soils at the site are sands, gravels, sands placed in this area by dredging shortly before cobbles, boulders, and clay tills that are 80 ft thick. The history of, and logic pile installation. The piles were jetted and then for, the selection of piling on this project is presented. The soil and foundation information available at each stage of design is outlined. The interrelation of seated by driving an additional 5 ft or to refusal. capacity determination by testing or by computational methods is discussed. There has been no observed failure of the piles The design process is analyzed and a critique is furnished. An evaluation of themselves. Drill cores and diver examination of pile test extent and timing by using decision-analysis techniques is recom the piling show strong, firm timbers. The problem mended. appears to be inadequate lateral support from the soil and pile system when subjected to a large number of load repetitions. This deficiency is Large projects generally have long histories. The present even though when this structure was designed size and related logistics are principal contribu in the early 1930s a full-scale pile testing program tors to this lengthy process. Response to conflict was instituted. The effects of cyclic loads were ing interests, reviewing agencies, and differing evaluated through numerous repetitions of a horizon engineering advice also provides interruptions. The tal load on single- and multiple-pile monoliths. The intent of this paper is to follow the selection of tests were performed within the main lock area, not pile type and design capacity through the intermit the auxiliary lock. The tests were reported by the tent stages of a large project with a view toward principal engineer, S.B. Feagin (2). improving this selection process. The replacement lock and dam- are located about two miles downstream from the present structure GENERAL (Figure 1). Foundation support and lock chamber shape and size are the principal features altered Existing Locks and Dam No. 26 is located on the for the new structure. The present concept for the Mississippi River at Alton, Illinois (Figure 1). replacement structure consists of a single 110xl200- The existing structure consists of semigravity locks ft U-frame lock and nine 110-ft-wide tainter gate 110 ft wide by 600 and 360 ft long; the walls are bays for the dam. These configurations are shown in supported principally on vertical 35-ft-long timber Figure 2 (section) and Figure 3 (plan). piling. The dam portion includes 32 tainter gate Several stages of design can be recognized in the bays that are 40 ft wide and are also supported on development of these configurations. The U.S. Army short vertical wood piling. The soils at the site Corps of Engineers labels these as survey, general, consist of alluvial sands and gravels grading and detailed stages. Most engineers use similar coarser with depth to limestone bedrock at 65 ft labels for steps within their practice. Survey below the base of the structure. The zone of pile involves the evaluation of several major alternative embedment is composed of fine to medium sands with structures and sites by using limited available variable density. The riverward lock wall has information and experience. General and detailed, displaced horizontally more than 10 in, and other as the names imply, involve increasing amounts of lock walls have displaced varying distances up to 6 basic information and refinement of design features. in. Early construction problems, notably the fail The following discussions relate the amount of ure of the third-stage cofferdam, are related by information available and the procedures used to White and Prentis (.!,). Extensive scouring of the establish pile type and predict capacity at each 46 Transportation Research Record 884 Figure 1. Site map. Figure 2. Typical dam and lock sections. SECTION THRU DAM EL. 494 ft. msl _ Normal Poot EL 419 ft. msl EL 379 ft. msl -u--~..... SECTION THRU LOCK stage. It is not the intent here to enumerate and compare the values assigned as pile capacities but to compare the general procedures used to develop the capacities. These procedures can be reduced to four basic approaches: 1. The chosen pile can by physically placed on site and tested, Figure 3. Overwater boring locations: survey report. 2. The resu:J_ts of tests at a similar yet remote site can be used, 3. Soil parameters can be determined and capaci ILLINOIS ties estimated indirectly through the use of many varied formulations based on either soil shear theory or past testing and performance, and 4. An individual long experienced in an area can simply assign a capacity. 0.B.R.L. MISSISSIPPI RIVER This last method is the least scientific and is •BORINGS TAKEN FOR THIS STAGE REPORT normally applied with considerable conservatism. • PREVIOUSLY COMPLETED BORINGS Conservatism also attends the use of formulas and soil parameters. The factor of safety assigned is one measure of conservatism in the formula approach. Extensive exploration and careful testing in param eter selection are other avenues to conservatism. These conservative approaches cost dollars in the selection of numbers and type of pile. Conversely, full-scale testing is also costly. A cost-balancing approach is outlined and recommended. could be, and would be, considered in future stud ies, but a predilection to this type of foundation SURVEY REPORT STAGE was clearly established. Pile capacities for tension, compression, and A survey report was accomplished during the period horizontal loadings were estimated from experience 1964-1968. The purpose of this report was to and the results of remote testing. In this case, clearly define the major alternatives available to the remote tests were performed on the Arkansas counter the deterioration and capacity limitations River Project (3,4). A large pile load test program of the existing locks and darn. Rehabilitation of was envisioned.- It was scheduled for accomplishment portions of the existing dam and replacement of the during the initial construction phases. lock was one alternative. Relocation of the struc ture at various locations upstream and downstream GENERAL DESIGN STAGE was also considered. The chosen alternative was construction of the new lock and dam at the down The general design memorandum studied during the stream site noted in Figure 1. period June 1968 through July 1977 was intended to Six borings were taken at the new downstream establish all major features of the project. Pile location to establish the foundation conditions. type, capacity, and configuration were included in Figure 3 presents the plan location of these bor these studies. ings. Pile type and capacity determinations made at In preparation for the general design memorandum that time were based solely on this limited founda studies, approximately 60 additional borings were tion information and the designers' and reviewers' taken. Figure 4 shows the extent of this explora combined experience and preferences. The poor tion program. Figure 5 presents a typical boring performance of the existing structure strongly profile. Available to the engineer were N-values influenced the determinations. Battered H-piles to for 2- and 3-in outside diameter spoons, drillers• rock was the clear-cut directive. The reviewers evaluations regarding the presence of cobbles and clearly stated their experience-based preference for boulders, D10 and grain-size information results, H-piles to rock. Alternative pile types and lengths some undisturbed densities, and drained direct shear Transportation Research Record 884 47 Figure 4. Overwater boring locations: general design memorandum. yielded a new set of capacity estimates. These data were combined with the estimates that used remote (Arkansas) tests to arrive at values for this design stage. A two-phase testing program was developed. 40+00• The first phase was designed as an overwater, quickly completed driving test to assess the practi cality of requiring that the piles penetrate to rock. The second phase, which was for the determi nation of acceptable loadings, would be accomplished MISSISSIPPI RIVER during initial construction of the darn and would 30 + 00. •BORINGS TAKEN FOR THIS STAGE REPORT follow the format developed during the survey report • PREVIOUSLY COMPLETED stage.