RESEARCH PAYS OFF: NEW BLASTING TECHNIQUE IN WASHINGTON STATE SAVES MONEY AND TIME
The last phase of construction of Washington State Route 504, which provides access to Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, involved construction of the South Coldwater Creek Bridge sited in loose, saturated debris avalanche deposits which are highly susceptible to liquefaction. With depth the liquefaction potential diminishes, but dynamic settlement still could occur. The effects of both these phenomena could include loss of foundation support, lateral spreading, and ground settlement. To mitigate the potential for seismically induced liquefaction and dynamic settlement at the bridge site, the Washington State Department of Transportation utilized blast densification to improve the density and strength of the deposit and allow for use of cost-effective shallow spread footings. Blast densification was approximately half the cost of the other options considered and also saved millions of dollars in potential delay costs. Further details of the SR 504 project are provided in this article.
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Supplemental Notes:
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Corporate Authors:
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC United States 20001 - Publication Date: 1995-7
Language
- English
Media Info
- Features: Photos;
- Pagination: p. 30-31
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Serial:
- TR News
- Issue Number: 179
- Publisher: Transportation Research Board
- ISSN: 0738-6826
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Bridge construction; Bridges; Construction; Cost effectiveness; Densification; Liquefaction; Seismicity; Settlement (Structures); Spread footings; Traffic mitigation
- Uncontrolled Terms: Seismic regions
- Old TRIS Terms: Avalanche deposits; Blast densification
- Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Construction; Highways; I53: Construction of Bridges and Retaining Walls;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00711814
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS, TRB
- Created Date: Sep 26 1995 12:00AM