DBA is one of many participants in a geotechnical engineering / deep foundation design research project being sponsored by the ADSC Southeast Chapter and funded by the ADSC Industry Advancement Fund. The project is investigating the axial resistance of drilled shafts socketed in to various rock formation in the Southeastern U.S. Design of drilled shaft foundations in the Southeastern U.S. has been very conservative over the years, often based solely on presumptive values of end bearing on rock and a requirement that the shaft be founded on sound rock with some minimum embedment below the rock surface. The research program hopes to test several shafts socketed into different rock formations to provide data for evaluating current design methodology, particularly the presumptive design values used in the region.
The first test shaft is being constructed this week at the Long Foundation Company equipment yard in Nashville, Tennessee. The shaft has a 48-inch rock socket in limestone. In conjunction with the research project, the ADSC SE Chapter is holding a prediction contest for the first test shaft. You can submit your prediction of the unit side shear and end bearing values. You can access the page on the shaft and the contest on the project page here or at the link on the top of the right sidebar. Information available includes boring logs, rock core photos, and photos of the rock socket construction. Contest entry deadline is Thursday, September 25th.
Other participants/sponsors include: Loadtest, PSI, S&ME, and Tennessee DOT.