Technical Paper Library at DBA

By Robert Thompson, on November 7th, 2006

We are continuing to build our library of technical papers authored by DBA principals under the Publications page of this site. These papers are placed here to aid in research and understanding of deep foundations, including drilled shafts, driven piles, and drilled piles. All applicable copyright laws and rights apply. It will take some time for us to get the majority of our papers on line. Feel free to contact us (through the Contact US link or by personal correspondence) if you need assistance in obtaining a particular paper or reference. The images below will take you to the papers previously posted.

Brown, D.A., 1990. “Construction and Design of Drilled Shafts in Hard Pinnacled Limestone,” Transportation Research Record 1277, pp148-152.

Brown, D. A., Muchard, M., and Khouri, B., 2002. “The Effect of Drilling Fluid on Axial Capacity, Cape Fear River, NC, Proc. of the Deep Foundations Inst. 27th Annual Meeting, San Diego

Technorati : Concrete Piles, Deep Foundations, Drilled Piles, Drilled Shafts, Driven Piles, Post-grouted Drilled Shafts

STGEC 2006 presentations posted

By Robert Thompson, on November 6th, 2006

We have posted Adobe PDF handout versions of the presentations made by Dan, Steve, and Robert at the recent 2006 Southeastern Transportation Geotechnical Engineering Conference in Florence, Alabama. Dan spoke about high performance concrete for drilled shaft foundations, Steve spoke on the use of tip-grouted drilled shafts on the John James Audubon Bridge in Louisiana, and Robert spoke about the test pile program for the US 90 bridge over Biloxi Bay in Mississippi. Click on the images below to get to the files.

Technorati : Bridge Foundations, Concrete, Concrete Piles, Drilled Shafts, Driven Piles, Post-grouted Drilled Shafts, Test Pile, Tip-grout

Presentation handouts now available

By Robert Thompson, on November 6th, 2006

We will provide through this website Adobe PDF versions of handouts from presentations made by the DBA team at various conferences. These are being provided for information for folks who attended a presentation or heard about one and wanted to have better notes for future reference. The material may not be used for any other purpose without prior written permission from Dan Brown and Associates, LLC.

The images below will take you to two previously posted files.

Happy Karl Terzaghi’s Birthday!

By Robert Thompson, on October 2nd, 2006

Today marks the 123^rd year since the birth of the Father of Modern Soil Mechanics, the Sultan of Soils, an Engineer’s Engineer: Karl Terzaghi! So let us raise our coffee mugs (or whatever vessel contains your morning beverage of choice) this morning in honor of the man that helped define what we do as a field unto itself in civil engineering. Later this evening, after you have spent another great day as a geotechnical engineer teaching students, visiting a site to observe or test foundation construction, performing settlement analysis, telling that architect yet again why he can’t use shallow foundations for his 10-story building like he planned, working like crazy to finish that bid on a complex _____ (pile, shaft, soil nail, etc.) installation, or figuring out how to handle the outrageous axial and lateral load combinations the structural engineer gave you this week, raise a toast of beer, wine, or other beverage of your choice to Professor Terzaghi and his work. You got to spend another day in the most fun and exciting field in civil engineering (really, who wants to sit at a desk designing moment connections all day?).

To reflect on the contributions of Professor Terzaghi, click here to go to an on-line reprint (by permission) of an article by Dr. Richard Goodman, P.E. from the October, 2002 issue of Geo-Strata.

Geoengineer.org Website Link

By Robert Thompson, on September 27th, 2006

We have added a link in our Links section to Geoengineer.org, a website resource for geotechnical engineers. Resources include an on-line technical library and an on-line photo gallery/library. They have several new information servces, including the Geoengineer.org Press Center that has the latest news of articles and press releases of interest to geotechnical engineers, and The International Journal of Geotechnical Case Histories- a new, free on-line journal. Check it out!

Drilled Shaft and Pile Foundation Presentations Scheduled for 2006 Southeastern Transportation Geotechnical Engineering Conference

By Robert Thompson, on September 25th, 2006

Dr. Dan Brown, P.E. and Mr. Robert Thompson, P.E.Â are scheduled on the program for the 2006 Southeastern Transportation Geotechnical Engineering Conference in Florence, Alabama October 30th – November 3rd, 2006. This is the 38th STGEC meeting and is being hosted this year by the Alabama Department of Transportation. Dan will make two presentations: “High Performance Concrete for Drilled Shaft Construction” and “Design of Tip-Grouted Drilled Shaft Foundations for the John James Audubon Bridge.” Robert will make a presentation titled “Test Pile Program for U.S. 90 Bridge Reconstruction over Biloxi Bay.”

Biloxi Bay Bridge project website is on-line

By Robert Thompson, on September 22nd, 2006

The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) has created a project web site for the US 90 Bridge over Biloxi Bay. The web site (http://biloxibridge.com) has project updates, photos, design concepts, and information about the project.

Publications Added to Site

By Robert Thompson, on September 10th, 2006

We are beginning to add publications by our staff to the site. A link to the Publications Page of our site is at the top of our home page. We will be adding more papers in the coming weeks. Our goal is to make this site one of your resources for deep foundation and slope stability literature.

Pile Load Tests on US 90 Biloxi to Ocean Springs

By Robert Thompson, on September 8th, 2006

The week of August 28th saw five load tests performed at the project site. A lateral Statnamic test and an axial Statnamic test were performed on both 24-inch and 30-inch piles. The tests were performed by AFT. A picture of one of the axial test setup is below. A static axial load tests was also performed on a 24-inch pile. Eustis Engineering, the project geotechnical engineering firm, supervised the static test. The results of the tests, along with the PDA data gathered by Eustis during driving of the indicator piles, will be used to set the pile tip elevations along the bridge alignment. Driving of production piles is set to begin the week of September 11th.

Statnamic test setup on 24-inch pile.

Driving Indicator Piles in Biloxi Bay

By Robert Thompson, on August 13th, 2006

I made a visit to the US 90 Biloxi to Ocean Springs bridge site on Thursday and was able to observe the driving of one of the indicator piles. This is a 30-inch precast prestressed concrete pile that will also be used for a Statnamic lateral load test. The axial and lateral load tests will begin later this month, with production piles planned to start in mid-September.

The left photo shows the barge set up for driving. This pile was adjacent to the bascule span of the destroyed bridge. The middle and right photos are during pile driving. A air hammer is being used to drive the pile.