Foundations on Peat
Foundations on Peat
(OP)
Could a light pole (footing pressure about 17 kPa) be founded on peat materails.
The peat is more than 6 m deep and the cloient is not in favour of a pile foundation with the high costs.
If a pad footing would be possible, what is the maximum bearing pressure that is typically assumed for peat materials? Thanks.
The peat is more than 6 m deep and the cloient is not in favour of a pile foundation with the high costs.
If a pad footing would be possible, what is the maximum bearing pressure that is typically assumed for peat materials? Thanks.





RE: Foundations on Peat
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
http://mmcengineering.tripod.com
RE: Foundations on Peat
RE: Foundations on Peat
RE: Foundations on Peat
as dik noted...can go on forever. Keep in mind that moisture contents in peat materials are commonly 200 to 400 percent...footing loads tend to squeeze that water out (reduction in void ratio), thus settlement occurs. The time to consolidation can be excrutiatingly slow...but damaging.
RE: Foundations on Peat
RE: Foundations on Peat
Have you thought of using preloads? One possible scenario - without using piles would be to load up 5 to 8 ft of sand in an area that would be 10 ft or so beyond the edge of your footing - let it sit for several months . . . yes, to build out primary and several cycles of secondary settlement. (note, depending on the peat, the side slopes might need to be 3H:1V or so.) Remove the preload to ground level. I would then dig out about 2 to 3 times my footing width (and say a footing width wider) and replace using the left over preload sand on which the foundation can be placed. You could also consider the use of geo-grids in the sand - but the width of excavation would need to be such that the grids would have enough tension length.
But for only a 6 m depth of peat - and assuming that you have "good" material below, why not just use helical piles that can be installed using light equipment -s houldn't be too expensive.
RE: Foundations on Peat
Dik
RE: Foundations on Peat
RE: Foundations on Peat
RE: Foundations on Peat
RE: Foundations on Peat
f-d
¡papá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!