pile driving vibrations and settlement
pile driving vibrations and settlement
(OP)
I have a potential client claiming that pile driving operations for a bridge construction project adjacent to his house (piles driven < 50' from house) have caused structural damage to an addition of the house. I reviewed the house last night and the damage is definitely caused from differential settlements. First, I am searching for more current information on the subject than I currently have. Any advice? Second, I am hesitant, at this point, to accept the work because if the results of my investigation and analysis indicate that the addition to the house was not properly founded in the first place, and not the result of the pile driving operations, who pays me? Any more advice?





RE: pile driving vibrations and settlement
www.PeirceEngineering.com
RE: pile driving vibrations and settlement
Otherwise it is more a matter of opinions and that then results in other experts and attorneys getting into the situation.
Credible witnesses might help, and if the cracks appear fresh that also might help. How fresh?
The owner may go directly to the contractor or bridge owner with a claim and perhaps will get something to keep from going to court.
Unless the owner is willing to invest in vibration studies, soils investigations and the like, it probably is not worth it for them or you.
RE: pile driving vibrations and settlement
www.PeirceEngineering.com
RE: pile driving vibrations and settlement
RE: pile driving vibrations and settlement
hokie66 is right on target. Get the attorney involved in the beginning for protection of your work product and to get the right perspective on the demands.
Definitely get a retainer up front.
RE: pile driving vibrations and settlement
Also, review any construction drawings and documents relating to the addition. If none are available, be skeptical of the foundation.
With projects such as these, I have always found it very difficult to nail down one cause for cracking, which is what the owner is asking you to do. As an engineer, I would also make it my task to rule out other typical contributing factors (i.e. consolidation settlement, poor construction, shrink/swell of the foundations due to moisture variations, etc.).
RE: pile driving vibrations and settlement
On the technical end, I have continued my research and have been finding more/better info. on the effects of pile driving vibrations on soil settlements.
Thanks for the replies.
RE: pile driving vibrations and settlement
I think you have given good advice. It is surprising that PennDOT does not require preconstruction inspections.
RE: pile driving vibrations and settlement
One problem that creeps up now and again on sites here, is when large excavations are undertaken for a new residential dwelling (say into a mountain slope) and the 'natural equilibrium' of the slope is disturbed - our municipalities/authorities do not enforce the need for a geotech assessment or delapidation survey on the owners doing the excavation, even when many neighbouring houses will be effected. I find it amazing how 'non-geotechnical specialists' seem to think no movement occurs when they excavate into the slope and think battering of the slope at 1v:1h will do the job - it sickens me sometimes to see the potential dangers and risks they take - but it does make my job easier when called in (on behalf of a moving house owner) and I challenge their geotech experience and ask why did you not undertake the delapidation survey.
RE: pile driving vibrations and settlement
I do find it very odd that a preconstruction survey and visual documentation wasn't performed.
RE: pile driving vibrations and settlement
Richard A. Cornelius, P.E.
WWW.amlinereast.com
RE: pile driving vibrations and settlement
For InDepth, to my knowledge, there was only one home affected. The home is the the first in a line of approx. 5 homes that set atop a relative flat streambank downstream of the bridge project. All other structures (except these 5) are a considerable distance from the bridge. The original house was not affected, only the addition. The addition was constructed on concrete pier footers, 4' depth, dia. ?, w/ 3 courses of CMU to the floor framing. The home owner stated how well founded it was becuse he placed the piers 4' deep. OK... I am not sure how familiar you are with west-central PA but the bridge is obviously on piling for a reason, the home, on private property, is at the upstream end of a large floodplain that the Corp of Engineers relies on for storage, and not to be condescending to the homeowner, but he just does not understand all the factors. I am treading lightly (careful of any comments I make) because I am very suspect of the bearing capacity of the addition's foundation as constructed.
For all. Concerning a preconstruction survey, one of the first things the project superintendant said to me the day I spoke with him was "we should have done a pre-pile survey"
For hokie66. No.., they do not. PennDOT covers this by placing the responsibility/liability on the contractor thru their general specifications.
For dicksewerrat. I can obtain any exploratory boring info., pile driving logs, field inspector's diaries, etc. that I want from PennDOT thru the sunshine laws here in PA. The pile driving subcontractor may be a different issue. I am not proceeding until somebody retains me. Concerning evidence of the age of the cracks... I was looking for something. The only thing I noted was some cobwebs, in one spot, in an opening/crack at the top of a wall in the one bedroom. Interesting thing was that this little bunch of cobwebs appeared rather dusty, not recently spun.
I have told anyone who questioned me in any way concerning this issue that the potential for the settlements to be caused by the pile driving exists, but, I can not say yea or nay, either way, without performing my investigation and analysis. I told the residential contractor that if the homeowner hires me, he may not get the answer he wants.
Again, thanks all.
RE: pile driving vibrations and settlement
"A giant striding past a kindergarten should tread softly. A pile driver operating in the vicinity of frail or unsubstantial structures should restrain or mask its thunderous blows to the extent necessary to avoid inflicting avoidable damage.
"The fact that the pile driver itself did not come into contact with the plaintiffs' houses does not exonerate it from responsibility. Its invisible tentacles of terrestrial violence struck at the houses as surely as a cannon shot hits its target. A pile driver whose operator ignores the presence of dwellings within the perifery of its vibrations is as responsible for the resulting damage as the bulldozer which leaves the road and knocks down adjoining buildings."
--- Justice Michael Angelo Musmanno, Pennsylvania Supreme Court, in Dussell v. Kaufmann Construction Company, regarding damage caused by construction of the Walt Whitman Bridge.
They sure don't write them like that anymore. That's almost Shakespeare.
RE: pile driving vibrations and settlement
RE: pile driving vibrations and settlement
RE: pile driving vibrations and settlement
I would like to point out that, although no longer in business, Kaufmann Construction was one of the most respected, competent, and thorough heavy and highway contractors in S.E. Pennsylvania for many years.
www.PeirceEngineering.com
RE: pile driving vibrations and settlement
RE: pile driving vibrations and settlement
RE: pile driving vibrations and settlement
www.PeirceEngineering.com
RE: pile driving vibrations and settlement
There should be a whole website and a cable TV channel for that.
RE: pile driving vibrations and settlement