×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Designing an Excavation with an Artesian Condition

Designing an Excavation with an Artesian Condition

Designing an Excavation with an Artesian Condition

(OP)
Fellow Geotechs,

New to the site here so exercise patience. I am looking for a good technical reference(s) for designing excavations when an artesian condition is present. Essentially, I am most concerned with bottom blowout (i.e., uplift/rupture of the aquatard from artesian pressure) and how to account for the artesian pressure when calculating basal heave. Furthermore, if anyone is aware of some good case histories were bottom blowout and/or basal heave have created failures, unworkable conditions, or general construction difficulties, please share. All suggestions are greatly appreciate.

I did a brief search through existing threads and came up empty. Please notify me of any existing discussion related to this topic. Thanks.

RE: Designing an Excavation with an Artesian Condition

US Steel Sheet Pile Design Manual provides guidance on cofferdam design and addresses some of the bottom boiling and heaving issues.

RE: Designing an Excavation with an Artesian Condition

Also, always remember first principles. The lateral stress at any location or depth is equal to the vertical effective stress multiplied by the appropriate pressure coefficient. When calculating the vertical effective stress, you must use the ACTUAL anticipated pore pressures. Since the actual pore pressures are dependent on the dewatering system, the cofferdam designer must understand every stage of the excavation and dewatering plan.

RE: Designing an Excavation with an Artesian Condition

Well, although it's a little old, there's some brief discussion in the free Corps of Engineers technical manual http://www.wbdg.org/ccb/DOD/UFC/ufc_3_220_05.pdf

Also, I'm not positive how much discussion there is of heave but a very good overall groundwater/dewatering reference is http://www.amazon.com/Construction-Dewatering-Groundwater-Control-Applications/dp/0471479438/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337642224&sr=8-1

RE: Designing an Excavation with an Artesian Condition

Your dewatering specs must include a backup engine-generator set ready to go immediately (and tested weekly), in case the primary power is lost!

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources