20% vertical strain (vertical swell) is an indication of the clay mineralogy and shrink-swell behavior. That sounds like nasty clay, design with caution.
Expansive clay soils, collapsible soils (dry, loose, i.e. fill or some arid climate soils), highly compressible organic soils, these are examples of soils that cause problems :)
You test by hiring a geotechnical engineer :)
The PLI for my small firm just went up to $15k/yr, ouch, and that is with 0 claims. What are you other geotechs seeing for your firms? (small, medium, large)
Consider LinkedIn, you would be surprised how many recruiters use that social network. Make sure you have geotechnical engineering as your labeled expertise or profession.
Follow the procedure outlined in Tex-124-E, Figures 1 and 2 allow you to calculate PVR for each 1-ft layer for example, and you sum the results within your active zone. I made my own spreadsheet (took years to develop) because as you noticed the vertical strain vs pressure in Fig 2 is...
How deep (massive) is the expansive clay at this site? How deep did the steel pipe piles get pushed (hydraulic)? Or where they actually driven (percussion)? This type of system is only designed to resist future settlement (from clay shrinkage or compression) and not heave. Subsequent heave...
NAVFAC 7.2 lists compression of fill based on soil type (1.1 to 2.5% of fill height for a CL to SC soil), but I am not sure where they got these values. It states these are for Standard Proctor level of compaction and the lower values are for 2800 psf surcharge and the higher values are for...
Have any geotechs or structurals that frequent this forum ever used a floating slab (ground-supported slab) for the bottom slab of a building with below-grade levels (e.g. a parking garage) with expansive clay subgrade soils? Just want to know if it is practical and desirable. For example a...
