CONSTRUCTION CONTROL BY MONITORED GEOTECHNICAL INSTRUCTION FOR NEW TERMINAL 46, PORT OF SEATTLE (DISCUSSION)

Geotechnical instrumentation was used to monitor and control construction pore pressures and soil movement during major modifications to an existing container terminal (old terminal 46 for the Port of Seattle. There was concern that the construction work which consisted of dredging, filling, and pile driving, might disturb the confined and sloping (5H:1V) 25-ft-thick loose silt layer beneath the fill at the terminal. Construction control by monitored instrumentation was used because the topographic conditions at the site and the Port's economic and marine design parameters precluded conventional methods of preventing slope failure, such as total excavation of the silt and/or flattening the new fill slope. The instrumentation monitored the behavior of the confined silt layer to ensure that excess pore pressure and soil movements induced by the disturbance of the construction work were within acceptable limits. Two warning levels of observed excess pore pressure were established to control the construction sequence and rate. At the yellow level, extra caution and alertness were imposed. At the red level, construction was halted or relocated. The disturbance caused by dredging and filling operations was small. The disturbance from pile driving was limited to a zone that had a radius smaller than 30 ft. The pile-driving contractor was restricted to driving no more than 3 piles/day within 30 ft of each other. This posed little hardship for the contractor, and the construction was completed successfully. (Author)

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1982/884/884-003.pdf
• Record URL:
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Foundations of Bridges and Other Structures. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • Fellenius, Bengt H
  • Pita, Frank W
  • Keene, P
• Discussers:
  • O'Brien, Arthur J
• Publication Date: 1982

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: pp 14-24
• Monograph Title: Piling 1982
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 884
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Construction; Dredging; Earthwork; Geotechnical engineering; Instrumentation; Intermodal terminals; Monitoring; Pile driving; Pore pressure; Ports; Silts
• Geographic Terms: Seattle (Washington)
• Old TRIS Terms: Construction problems
• Subject Areas: Construction; Geotechnology; Highways; Marine Transportation; Terminals and Facilities; I42: Soil Mechanics;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00372275
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 030903471X
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: May 31 1983 12:00AM