Category Archives: DBA News

DBA News, Research, Slope Stability

DFI Publishes Landslide Stabilization and Excavation Support Report

The Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) has just published a new report entitled “Guidance for Factoring Deep Foundation Structural Resistance for Landslide Stabilization and Excavation Support“, Final Report, CPF-2017-LAND-1 .  The authors are our very own Ben Turner, Dan Ding, Erik Loehr, and Paul Axtell.

To borrow from the authors’ introduction:

This report provides guidance for factoring deep foundation passive structural resistance for use in two-dimensional limit-equilibrium SSA, and is intended to serve as a consensus document on this subject. The report is divided into two main sections. The first section provides an overview of the basic framework for incorporating deep foundation elements into global stability analyses, followed by a discussion of the different possible methods for factoring (or not) structural resistance at different stages of the analysis. From this discussion, various plausible combinations of methods for including or not including load and resistance factors are identified, including a simple example.  In the second section of the report, the various factoring methods are applied to three case studies in order to analyze the influence of factoring method on reliability. The report concludes with a summary of the recommended approach for incorporating deep foundation resistance in SSA, informed by the conclusions presented in the earlier sections.

The report can be downloaded for free from DFI at the Committee Project Fund page (https://www.dfi.org/cpf) . Scroll down and look for the Landslides and Slope Stabilization Committee.    The DFI committees fund a lot of projects that result in reports such as this that benefit our industry and the state of practice.

 

While the report is free, you can access so much more, including the DFI Journal, by becoming a member.

DBA News

Welcome Aaron Leopold, P.E.!

Aaron Leopold, P.E. joined the team this May with 8 years of geotechnical engineering experience.  He received a BS and MS in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  His previous work at Shannon & Wilson mainly focused on the design and construction of deep foundations and retention systems.  Aaron was often on the road, observing complex geotechnical projects throughout the Midwest and Western United States consisting of drilled shafts, ground anchors, micropiles, augercast piles, and other deep foundation and earth retention systems.  He has supported numerous landslide stabilization projects utilizing his knowledge of 2D and 3D numerical modeling and has worked on large design-build projects from the pursuit through construction in the Rockies.  Aaron is also heavily involved within ASCE and other professional organizations in Colorado and will be based in Denver.

DBA News

Welcome Adam blazejowski and frank russell!

We are starting 2022 with two new faces at DBA – a big welcome to Adam Blazejowski, EI and Frank Russell, EI.  Both will be based in our office in Knoxville, Tennessee, but will soon be like the rest of us at DBA – traveling to interesting project sites all over the U.S.  They will be working on many of the deep foundation and earth retention projects that are our staples.

Adam is  from London, Canada where he completed his B.S. degree in civil engineering at Western University in 2020.  He came to the United States to complete an M.S. in geotechnical engineering at Virginia Tech, where he performed research on the cyclic strength of sands.  Adam is also interested in risk-based design and reliability in geotechnical engineering.

Frank  is from Hickory Flat, Georgia and graduated from Auburn University with his B.S. in 2019 and his M.S. in 2021 in civil engineering.  During graduate school, he was a recipient of the Long Family Endowed Civil Engineering Graduate Study Scholarship from the ADSC – The International Association of Foundation Drilling. His graduate school research evaluated the methods used in pile load testing across Alabama Department of Transportation projects. 

DBA News, Drilled Shafts, Foundation Design, Foundation Testing, Integrity Testing

TRB paper by andy boeckmann and erik loehr on Thermal requirements for drilled shafts

Andy Boeckmann, Ph.D., P.E. (DBA Senior Engineer) and Erik Loehr, Ph.D., P.E. (DBA Senior Principal Engineer) have published a paper on the topic of thermal testing of drilled shafts in the Transportation Research Board (TRB) journal Transportation Research Record.  Their co-author was  Zakaria El-tayash of Burns & McDonnell. 

As the drilled shaft diameters have increased in size over the years, designers and owners have had questions or concerns about the issues of temperature impacts to concrete durability similar to the issues with mass concrete placement for large structural elements.   Some transportation agencies have recently applied mass concrete provisions to drilled shafts, such as limits on maximum temperatures and maximum temperature differentials.  The temperatures commonly observed in large diameter drilled shafts have been observed to cause delayed ettringite formation (DEF) and thermal cracking in above-ground concrete elements.  This has led to the practice of applying to drilled shafts the control provisions that are based on dated practices for above-ground concrete. However, the reinforcement and confinement (embedded in soil and/or rock below grade) unique to drilled shafts should provide resistance to thermal cracking and possibly other effects of mass concrete temperatures.

Conceptual illustration of crack development in early age concrete with time from internal restraint. Adapted from Bamforth (2018) with permission from CIRIA

 

The paper reviews current requirements of several state DOTs  for addressing DEF and thermal cracking, then establishes a rational procedure for design of drilled shafts for durability requirements in response to hydration temperatures.  DEF is addressed through maximum temperature differential limitations while thermal cracking is addressed through calculations that explicitly consider the thermo-mechanical response of concrete for predicted temperatures.  The recommended procedure includes a detailed five step evaluation process.   Additional alternate steps for mitigation techniques and/or monitoring temperature are detailed as well.   The procedures allow for explicit account of project-specific characteristics, including ground conditions, concrete mix design characteristics, drilled shaft geometry, and the quantity of steel reinforcement.

 

Temperature differential between center and edge of shaft versus time from thermal model and from temperature measurements

 

The methodology was developed from guidance established by ACI and CIRIA and provides a rational means for designing drilled shafts for durability without imposing unnecessary constraints that may exacerbate challenges with effective construction of drilled shafts.  Results from application of the procedure indicate consideration of DEF and thermal cracking potential for drilled shafts is prudent, but provisions that have been applied to date are overly restrictive in many circumstances, particularly the commonly adopted 35 ?F maximum temperature differential provision.

You can get the paper from The Transportation Research Record at the link below.

Boeckmann, A.Z., El-tayash, Z., and Loehr, J.E. (2021). “Establishing and Satsifying Thermal Requirements for Drilled Shaft Concrete Based on Durability Considerations”, Transportation Research Record, March 2021.

DBA News

NEW PUBLICATIONS ADDED AND UPDATES TO THE WEBSITE

It’s been a while since we have updated everyone on some of the various publications we have added to our website, so I wanted to provide a few links to some of the newer additions to our Publications tab.  One magazine that members of DBA contribute to fairly regularly is Geostrata Magazine.  The Geostrata Magazine is a bi-monthly publication of the Geo-Institute.  You can join the Geo-Institute and gain access to the magazine by following this link:  https://www.geoinstitute.org/publications/geostrata.  Dr. Dan Brown published an article in the May-June 2020 edition about lessons learned from failures during pile installation with regards to driving stresses.  In the January-February 2021 edition, Dr. Erik Loehr contributed an article about recognizing the inherent value in site characterization.  Links for the articles are below.

Brown, D., E. (2020). “Learning from Pile Driving Failures,” Geostrata, May-June 2020.

Loehr, J. E. (2021). “Recognizing Value in Site Characterization – How Cool Would That Be?”, Geostrata, January-February 2021.

Speaking of the Geo Institute, Dan Ding and Erik Loehr recently co-authored a paper in the Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering (see link below).

Ding, D., Loehr, J. E. (2019). “Variability and Bias in Undrained Shear Strength from Different Sampling and Testing Methods,”Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering Volume 145, Issue 10, October 2019.

An organization that we actively publish papers with is the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI).  We have added papers from the last three years for the DFI Annual Conference as well as the The Journal of the Deep Foundations Institute.  Links to the papers are below.  To join DFI or learn more , click the DFI logo located in the left sidebar.

T.C. Siegel, T. J. Day, B. Turner & P. Faust (2019) “Measured end resistance of CFA and drilled displacement piles in San Francisco Area alluvial clay”,DFI Journal – The Journal of the Deep Foundations Institute, 12:3, pp 186-189.

Graham, D.S. and Axtell, P.J. (2019). “Case History: Comparison of CSL Results to Physical Observations,” Proceedings: Deep Foundations Institute 44th Annual Conference, Chicago, IL, USA, pp 420-427.

Axtell, P.J., Graham, D.S., and Jackson, J. (2018). “Drilled Shaft Difficulties and a Micropile Solution,” Proceedings: Deep Foundations Institute 43rd Annual Conference, Anaheim, CA, USA, pp 93-103.

Graham, D.S., Axtell, P.J., and Iverson, N. W. (2017). “Case History: Large Diameter Micropiles for the Highway 53 Relocation Project,” Proceedings: Deep Foundations Institute 42nd Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA, USA.

Dr. Dan Brown has also recently submitted an article to Pile Driver Magazine, which is a bi-monthly publication of the Pile Driving Contractors Association (PDCA).  To learn more about the PDCA or become a member, click on logo on the left sidebar. The magazine is free to access and can be found by clicking here while the link for Dr. Brown’s article can be found below.

Brown, D. (2020). “A comparison of factors affecting the static axial resistance of drilled and driven piles”, Pile Driver Issue 4 2020, Volume 17 No. 4, pp 60-78.

We have also added a few older papers that David Graham and Paul Axtell have published.  One, a case history for a micropile project, was for the International Society of Micropiles.  The other was for the 34th annual International Bridge Conference.  The links for  the papers are found below.

Axtell, P.J., Graham, D.S., and Bailey, J. D. (2017). “Statnamic Load Testing on a 406mm (16 in) Diameter Micropile,” International Society of Micropiles, Chicago, IL, USA.

Graham, D.S., Hasbrouck, G.T., Axtell, P.J., and Turner, J.P. (2017). “Reducing Longitudinal Demands on Tall Bridge Piers with an Anchored Abutment”, Proceedings of the 34th International Bridge Conference, 2017, National Harbor, MD, USA, pp 668-672.

Finally, we have also updated our About Us tab to reflect the change in leadership announced back in April of 2020 and provide an updated view of our current staff here at DBA.  The names of each individual are links to their respective resume. 

DBA News, Geophysical, Industry News and Events, Research

NCHRP Synthesis 547 – Advancements in Use of Geophysical Methods for Transportation Projects

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) has released a synthesis report prepared by Brent L. Rosenblad and Andrew Z. Boeckmann (Andy is now with DBA) on geophysical methods for transportation projects: NCHRP Synthesis 547, Advancements in Use of Geophysical Methods for Transportation Projects.  The report is an updated summary of the state of practice with regard to geophysical methods in the transportation industry and includes a matrix of geophysical methods and applications. They conducted a survey of state DOTs and selected frequent users of geophysics to analyze “the common use methods and applications, challenges, and lessons learned.”

You can download a PDF of the report or purchase a hard copy at the link below.

Rosenblad, B.L. and Boeckmann, A.Z. (2020). NCHRP Synthesis 547, Advancements in Use of Geophysical Methods for Transportation Projects, Transportation Research Board, National Academies, Washington, D.C.

DBA News, Site updates

DBA Announces Officer Transitions

DBA is excited to announce recent transitions within the company.

Dan Brown, Ph.D., P.E., D.GE, is turning over the reigns of leadership to the next generation in the firm and stepping down as President.   While stepping back from day-to-day management of the company, Dan will remain fully involved in technical aspects and client service in the role of Chief Engineer where he will continue to focus on developing practical solutions to complex and challenging foundation issues.

Three Senior Principal Engineers will assume the roles of the officers of DBA.  Tim Siegel, P.E., G.E., D.GE  has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer.   Paul Axtell, P.E., D.GE has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer.  Robert Thompson, P.E., D.GE has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer.   Tim, Paul, and Robert will provide the management and leadership for the continued growth of DBA and for DBA to provide value to its clients and continue to be a key contributor to the practice of geotechnical engineering.

Tim Siegel, CEO Paul Axtell, COO Robert Thompson, CFO

 

DBA News, Industry News and Events, Site updates

DBA Grows – 2020 Edition!

DBA is happy to announce our two latest additions to the team: Dan Ding, Ph.D., P.E. and Andy Boekmann, Ph.D., P.E.  Dan joined us as a Project Engineer in October of 2019 while Andy came on board as a Senior Engineer in February of this year.   Read a little bit about both of them below.  Go to our About us page to see their resume as well as everyone else on the DBA Team.

Dan Ding, Ph.D., P.E.

Dan received her Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Missouri. Dan specializes in site characterization, geotechnical laboratory testing, Load and Resistance Factor Design, and reliability analysis. Before joining DBA, Dan worked as an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Missouri to teach undergraduate and graduate engineering courses as well as conduct national and state research projects. She also worked as a laboratory geotechnical engineer at Geocomp in Acton, MA for a year after graduation.  Dan is based in Columbia, Missouri.

Andy Boeckmann, Ph.D., P.E.

Prior to joining DBA, Andy was a research engineer at the University of Missouri, where he performed research on topics including post-grouted drilled shafts, reliability of geotechnical designs, foundation reuse, and geotechnical asset management. Andy also earned a Ph.D. at the University of Missouri; his dissertation examined the reliability of foundation designs based on site-specific load tests. Andy is the lead author of two NCHRP Synthesis reports, including Current Practices and Guidelines for the Reuse of Bridge Foundations. Prior to working at MU, Andy was a consulting geotechnical engineer for URS Corp. in St. Louis, where he performed design and analysis for large projects, including post-Hurricane Katrina levee design in New Orleans. Andy is an active member of the Deep Foundations Institute, including serving as the vice-chair of the Subsurface Characterization Committee.  He is also based in Columbia, Missouri.

DBA News, Sesimic and Earthquakes

2018 Tennessee Earthquake GEER Report

Tim Siegel was one of four co-leaders of a Geotechnical Extreme Events  Reconnaissance (GEER) team that investigated the impacts of the 2018 Tennessee Earthquake that occurred near Decatur, Tennessee on December 12, 2018.   Among the team members were Ali Leib and Mark Madget.  The team performed reconnaissance of the area around the epicenter of the quake and prepared a report of their observations.

The quake occurred at 4:14 am EST approximately 12 km north-northeast of Decatur, Tennessee, which is about 240 km southeast of Nashville, TN.  The highest recorded peak ground acceleration (PGA) was 0.0215g approximately 36 km from the epicenter.  At least 21 aftershocks were recorded through December 18, 2018.  The GEER team did not encounter any evidence of earthquake-induced damage in the areas they visited.  Organizations such as the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) , and the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) “reported that either there was no damage to their facilities or that their operations were unaffected due to earthquake.”

The team’s report can be downloaded from GEER here.  Click the image below to see the list of the entire team.

GEER is a “volunteer organization of geotechnical engineers, engineering geologists, and earth scientists from academia, industry, government organizations, and non-profit organizations.”  They assemble teams to conduct detailed reconnaissance after extreme events (earthquakes, landslides, floods, hurricanes, etc.) in order “to  obtain valuable perishable information that can be used to advance research and improve engineering practice.”

To find out more about GEER, visit their website.

Bridge Foundations, DBA News, Foundation Design, Foundation Testing, Industry News and Events, Load Testing

Dan Brown awarded A Golden Beaver

(One more catch-up on “older” news!)

In January of 2018, Dan was awarded the coveted Golden Beaver  Award in Engineering by The Beavers.  The award was given at the 63rd Annual Golden Beavers Award Dinner on January 19, 2018 in Los Angeles.

The Beavers is a social and honorary organization organized and managed by members of the heavy construction industry.

The purpose of the Beavers is to promote goodwill, friendliness and consideration within the heavy engineering construction industry; to give recognition to those men and women who have demonstrated particular skill, responsibility and integrity; and to encourage and support entry of promising young individuals into heavy engineering construction.

The Beavers hold two major events annually. The Beavers Awards Dinner is held in mid-January, where individuals are recognized with a Golden Beaver Award for their achievements and contributions to the heavy construction industry in the categories of Management, Supervision, Engineering and Service & Supply.

Dan was honored with the award for his expertise and contributions to the deep foundations industry and its impacts on the heavy construction industry.