HomeMy WebLinkAboutReport of Foundation InvestigationREPORT Or FOUNDATION INVESTIGATION
PROPOSED SERVICE CENTER - RAILROAD
AVENUE AND SECOND STREET, RIFLE, COLORADO
FOR PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF COLORADO
8142-019-14
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SUITE 100, 10597 WEST 6'11 AVENUE • DENVER, COLORA00 80215 • (3031 232-6262
TVX: 910-931-2600
April 9, 1973
Public Service Company of Colorado
Structural Engineering Department
5900 East 39th Avenue
Denver, Colorado 80207
Attention: Mr. H. W. Hight
Gentlemen:
Six copies of our report entitled, "Foundation Investigation,
Proposed Service Center, Railroad Avenue and Second Street, Rifle,
Colorado, For Public Service Company of Colorado" are herewith
submitted.
The purpose and scope of this investigation were planned
in diacusaions between Mr. Svenn Borgersen of Public Service
Company and Mr. Larry Davidson of Dames & Moore. A summary of the
purpose of the scope of this study was outlined in Extra Work
Authorization No. 19 dated March 27, 1973.
The results of our investigation indicate that the proposed
service center building and associated pavement areaa may be satis-
factorily supported on the in-situ soils at the site. Deep filt
was encountered over the eastern portion of the site, and special
foundation design considerations are necessary to provide uniform
foundation support in this area. The pavement may be constructed
directly upon the existing soils at all Locations. Detailed
recommendations regarding site preparation, excavations, foundations,
floor slabs, pavement design and site grading are presented in
the attached report.
We appreciate the opportunity of performing this investi-
gation for you, If you have any questions concerning this report
or if you require additional information please contact ue.
LKDJ lb
Very truly yours;
DAMES & MOORE .
Larry, Davidson
y
Associate
}
. FOUNDATION INVESTIGATION
PROPOSED SERVICE CENTER
RAILROAD AVENUE AND SECOND STREET
RIFLE, COLORADO
FOR
PUBLIC SERVICE COI4PANY OF COLORADO
INTRODUCTION
This report presents the results of our foundation investigation
for the proposed service center and associated paved areas to be con-
structed in Rifle, Colorado. The location of the site and planned con-
struction with respect to existing streets is shown on Plate 1, Plot.
Plan.
PURPOSE AND SCOPE
The purpose of this investigation is to provide design recommenda-
tions for constructing foundations, floor slabs, and pavement at the pro-
posed site. To accomplish this purpose the following scope of work was
performed.
1) A field investigation program consisting of excavating,
logging and sampling five test pits.
2) Laboratory testing.
3) Engineering analyses.
4) Preparation of this written report which includes:
a) Piot plan showing boring locations
b) Test pit logs
c) Recommendations for site preparation, excavations,
foundations, floor slabs, pavement and site grading.
r ,PAVAE5 0 1+400ne
SUBSURFACE
As mentioned in the previous paragraph most of the site has been
covered with fill. This fill ranges in thickness from less than a foot
over portions of the western two-thirds of the site to a maximum of
approximately eight feet on the extreme eastern side of the site. The
fill coneimts of a medium stiff, broom, clayey silt with some fine sand.
At Test Pits 2 and 3, where the fill is the deepest, the fill grades less
clayey with depth but also contains occasional thin zones of miscellaneous
debris including asphalt, cinders, and lumber. The fill was never compacted
but some stiffening has occurred due to surface traffic and settlement.
The results of our laboratory testa indicate that the fill material is
moderately compressible and somewhat moisture sensitive, showing an increase
in compressibility with the addition of moisture.
At all the test pit locations, the fill material is underlain
by an alluvial medium dense, brown, sandy fine to coarse gravel with some
cobbles. This material is the original soil at the site. With depth,
the gravel material grades coarser and in Test Pits 2 and 3 the gravel
layer is grayish brown in color and contains some clay. In Test Pit 3,
the gravel stratum is overlain by a 1-1/2 foot thick layer of medium
stiff, brown, silty clay with some fine gravel. This clay layer appears
to be natural soil.
GROUNDWATER
Groundwater was not encountered in any of the teat pits at the
site.
DISCUSSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
GENERAL
Based on our field explorations, laboratory testing and engineering
analyses, it is our opinion that the proposed service center and pavement
may be satisfactorily supported on the in-situ soil at the site. Because
DAMES e R1001121 la
-4 -
of the Loosely dumped fill which has been placed on the eastern one third
of the site, special design considerations are necessary for foundations
in this area. Otherwise, no major construction problems are anticipated.
Groundwater was not encountered in the Test Pits and should not be a.pro-
blem: Detailbd.site preparation,'excavation;:foundation, floor slab; .
.pavemcnt'deeign and site grading.recormnendations are provided in the
following paragraphs.
SITE PREPARATION
Prior to our field investigation program the site had been
cleared of all surface structures and surface vegetation. Therefore,
no site preparation, other than removal of whatever debris may exist on
the site at the time of construction, will be necessary before beginning
construction of foundations, floor slabs and pavement.
EXCAVATIONS
The soil conditions at the site are such that for shallow
excavations, four feet deep or leas, vertical sidewalls may be used. However,
for deeper excavations we recommend either sloping the side walls at one
horizontal to one vertical or flatter, or the use of adequate shoring.
FOUNDATIONS
Conventional continuous wall and spread foundations may be used
to support the proposed service center, For frost protection we recommend
that all exterior foundations be established at a minimum depth of 3-1/2
feet below lowest adjacent final grade. All footings should be founded
upon the sand, gravel and cobble stratum underlying the fill material at
the site. For most of the service center building, the footing depth
requirement for frost protection will also meet the requirement for bearing
upon granular soil.
The northeast portion of the building will be situated in an area
where the gravel stratum is approximately 6 to 8 feet below the ground
surface. In this area the foundations may either be extended down to the
reAN7ES ti IVIOOR6
-5 -
underlying gravel stratum or the fill materials may be excavated and re-
placed with compacted, free -draining granular fill. If replacement fill
is used only beneath the footings, it should extend laterally beyond the
edges of the footings to a distance equal to the depth of the replacement
fill beneath the foundation. For instance, if 4 feet of replacement fill
were required beneath the foundations, then the minimum width of the re-
placement fill should be 8 feet plus the width of the foundation.
It may be more economical to use larger equipment and place
compacted granular fill beneath the entire northeast portion of the build-
ing, rather than individual footings. The area of fill should extend ver-
tically to the underlying gravel stratum and horizontally beyond the per-
imeter footing edges to a distance equal to the depth of fill. Granular
fill used for foundation support should be placed in lifts with a maximum
of 8 inches in loose thickness and compacted to 95 percent of maximum dry
density, as determined by the AASHO* T-180 Method of Compaction. Vibra-
tion drum rollers or plate compactors are most effective for compacting
granular materials.
For footings supported on compacted granular fill or the sand,
gravel, and cobble stratum, we recommend using a minimum footing width
of 18 inches and a maximum net bearing pressure of 4,000 paf for design.
The weight of the foundation below grade may be ignored in calculating
footing loads. We anticipate that the total and differential settlements
of footings designed in accordance with our recommendations will be neg-
ligible, and should occur during construction and immediately after initial
loading.
* American Association of State Highway Officials
nAmets a rapobrzz13
-6 -
FLOOR SLABS
The fill soil at the site will provide adequate floor slab sup-
port. We recommend that all floor slabs be underlain by a minimum of 4
inches of free -draining, granular fill. This fill should be compacted
to 95 percept of the maximum dry density as determined by the modified
AASHO T-180 Method of Compaction. The floor slabs should be structurally
separated from the columns and walls to allow for any differential settle-
ment.
PAVEMENT
The pavement areas for the proposed site may be constructed
directly upon the existing fill at the site, provided the appropriate
subgrade preparation is completed. This preparation should include re-
moval of soil to the specified grade and compaction of the upper 8 inches
of the subgrade. The subgrade should be compacted to the same criteria
as mentioned previously for fill beneath the building floor slabs. If
during the compaction or stripping process any areas with organic debris
or wet or pumping soils are encountered, the deleterious material or soil
should be completely removed and replaced with free-draining,compacted,
granular fill.
From discussions with Public Service Company personnel, we
understand that heavily -loaded trucks will be used on the site. We recom-
mend the following pavement section for the support of heavily -loaded
truck traffic:
1) 3k inches asphalt surface course;
2) 12 inches -- base course fill on top of compacted sub -
grade.
For areas subjected to car or light utility truck traffic, we recommend
a thinner and more economical pavement section consisting of the follow-
ing:
Wna-Ms e M, OORE
- 7-
1) 2 inches -- asphalt surface course;
2) 6 inches -- base course fill on top of compacted sub -
grade.
SITE GRADING
Any of the soils at the site may be used for eite leveling and
grading purposes. We recommend that the site be graded so that surface
runoff water will be directed away from the building. Adequate surface
drainage should be provided from the pavement areas. Fill placed for
site grading should be compacted to 90 percent of maximum density as
determined by the AASHO T-180 Method of Compaction.
The following plate and appendix are attached and complete
this report.
LID/lb
Plate 1, Plot Plan
Appendix, Field Explorations and Laboratory Tests
Very truly yours,
DAMES & MOORE
Larr 'K. Davidson
Associate
DA 4:l 1n Ex Vicars
SECOND srREET�
(
SERVICE
CENTER
DOCK —
DOCK
COVERED PARKING AREA
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ASPHALT PAYING
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ID 0 10 10 DO
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PLATE 1
APPENDIX
FIELD EXPLORATIONS AND LABORATORY TESTS
FIELD EXPLORATIONS
The subsurface soil conditions at the proposed site were investi-
gated by excavating 5 test pits to a depth of approximately 12 feet. The
test pita were excavated with a rubber -tire, tractor mounted backhoe. The
locations of the test pita with respect to the planned site development
and site foundations are shown on Plate 1, Plot Plan in the text of this
report.
The field exploration program was conducted and supervised by an
experienced soils engineer from our office. Representative soil samples
were obtained from the test pits using a Dames & Moore soils sampler as
shown on Plate A-3 Soil Sampler Type U, and hand sampling techniques. The
soils encountered were classified by visual and textural examination in the
field and a complete log was maintained for each test pit. These classi-
fications were supplemented by inspection and testing in our laboratory.
Because hand sampling techniques were employed, no blow counts data could
be obtained. A graphical representation of the soils encountered is pre-
sented on the test pit logs, Plates A -1A to A -1E, Log of Teat Pits. The
nomenclature used to describe the soil types appears on Plate A-2,
Unified Soil Classification System.
LABORATORY TESTS
Because of the coarse granular characteristics of most of the
on-site soils and hand sampling techniques, our laboratory testing program
was minimized. However, we were able to perform a moisture and density
determination and consolidation test on one of the fill clayey silt samples.
The results of the moisture and deneity•determinations and the consolidation
testa are shown on Plate A-4, Consolidation Teat Data. The consolidation
test was performed in accordance with the method described on Plate A-5,
Method of Performing Consolidation Teats.
DAMES B MOOn@
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BORING 3
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BROWN CLAYEY SILT WITH SOME FINE SAND
(FILL) - MEDIUM STIFF
GRADING - TRACE OF CLAY
BROWN SILTY CLAY WITH SOME FINE GRAVEL -
MEDIUM STIFF
GRAYISH -BROWN FINE TO COARSE GRAVEL WITH
SOME COBBLES AND CLAY - MEDIUM DENSE
GROUNDWATER NOT ENCOUNTERED
BORING 4
BROWN SAND FINE TO COARSE GRAVEL WITH
COBBLES - MEDIUM DENSE
GRADING COARSER SIZES
GROUNDWATER NOT ENCOUNTERED
LOG OF BORINGS
asr,ewED B NVIOORE
PLATE A -1B
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BROWN CLAYEY SILT WITH SOME FINE SAND -
MEDIUM STIFF
BROWN SAND FINE TO COARSE GRAVEL WITH
COBBLES
GRADING COARSER SIZES
GROUNDWATER NOT ENCOUNTERED
LOG OF BORINGS
0,64141ES 8 INIODRItE
PLATE A-10
FORA NO. 467.1 L
MAJOR DIVISIONS
GRAPH
SYMBOL
LETTER
SYMBOL
TYPICAL DESCRIPTIONS
COARSE
SOILS
MORE THAN SOX
IOff MATERIAL IS
200 SIEV[ S1ZG•
ANDS
GRAVELLY
SOILS
YORC THAN SO};
OF COARSE FRAC-
T10M R�T LP
OH REIFI SKYE
CLEAN GRAVELS
(LITTLE OR NO
rotas)
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HELL -GRADED GRAVELS, GRAVEL -
SAND VIUTUR(S. LITTLE OR
NO FINES
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POORLY -GRADED CRAVELS,GRAVEL-
OAHU MIXTURES. LITTLE OR
NO FINES
GRAVELS WITH PITIES
(APPRccIAGL[ OUST
Or FINES
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GM
SILTY ORAV(LS, GRAVEL-SAND-
SILT MIXTURES
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CLAYEY GRAVELS, GRAVEL-SAHD-
CLAY UIRTURES
Ail
SA1DY
SOILS
MORE THAN SOX
Of COARSE FRAC-
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CLEAN SOD (L1 [TLE
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NOTCHES FOR
ENGAGIING
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HEAD
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HO 7 C,
'HEAD EXTENSION' CAN
RE INTRODUCED BETWEEN
'MEAD" AND 'SPLIT BARREL"
SPLIT BARREL
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OF CORE SANPL
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U. 5. PATENT NO.2, 358,062
SPACE TO RECEIVE
DISTURBED SOIL
CORE•RETAIHER
RINGS
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ALTERNATE ATTACHMENTS
SPLIT BARREL.
LOCKING
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SAMPLING TUBE
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DEVICE LENGTHS)
RETAINER RING
RETAINER $
{INTERC HAH0(ABL 1 WITH
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SOIL SAMPLER TYPE U
COR E•RE TAMING
DEVICE
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1 1 1 1
TEST PIT 2 AT 1'
BROWN CLAYEY SILT
WITH SOME FINE SAND
MOISTURE CONTENT 17%
DRY DENSITY 104 PCF
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CONSOLI DATION
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CONSOLIDATION TESTS ARE PERFORMED TO EVALUATE THE VOLUME CHANGES OF SOILS SUBJECTED
TO INCREASED LOADS. TIME -CONSOLIDATION AND PRESSURE -CONSOLIDATION CURVES MAY BE PLOT-
TED FROM THE DATA OBTAINED IN THE TESTS. ENGINEERING ANALYSES BASED ON THESE CURVES
PERMIT ESTIMATES TO BE MADE OF THE PROBABLE MAGNITUDE AND RATE OF SETTLEMENT OF THE
TESTED SOILS UNDER APPLIED LOADS.
EACH SAMPLE IS TESTED WITHIN BRASS RINGS TWO AND ONE-
HALF INCHES IN DIAMETER AND ONE INCH IN LENGTH. UNDIS-
TURBED SAMPLES OF IN-PLACE SOILS ARE TESTED IN RINGS
TAKEN FROM THE SAMPLING DEVICE IN WHICH THE SAMPLES '
WERE OBTAINED. LOOSE SAMPLES OF SOILS TO BE USED IN
CONSTRUCTING EARTH FILLS ARE COMPACTED IN RINGS TO
PREDETERMINED CONDITIONS AND TESTED.
IN TESTING, THE SAMPLE IS RIGIDLY CONFINED LATERALLY
BY THE BRASS RING. AXIAL LOADS ARE TRANSMITTED TO THE CONSOL 1 OOMETER
DEAD LOAD- PHEUMAT 1 C
ENDS OF THE SAMPLE BY POROUS DISKS. THE DISKS ALLOW
DRAINAGE OF THE LOADED SAMPLE. THE AXIAL COMPRESSION OR EXPANSION OF THE SAMPLE IS
MEASURED BY A MICROMETER DIAL INDICATOR AT APPROPRIATE TIME INTERVALS AFTER EACH
LOAD INCREMENT IS APPLIED. EACH LOAD IS ORDINARILY TWICE THE PRECEDING LOAD. THE IN-
CREMENTS ARE SELECTED TO OBTAIN CONSOLIDATION DATA REPRESENTING THE FIELD LOADING
CONDITIONS FOR WHICH THE TEST IS BEING PERFORMED. EACH LOAD INCREMENT I5 ALLOWED TO
ACT OVER AN INTERVAL OF TIME DEPENDENT ON THE TYPE AND EXTENT OF THE SOIL IN THE
FIELD.
METHOD OF PERFORMING CONSOLIDATION TESTS
01111181138 8 Neoogor
PLATE A - 5