Artículos


MAR 13 2020   l   International Journal of Geoengineering Case Histories   l  
Infiltration Study for Deep Foundations in Ephemeral Streams

Abstract
The duration of a flood event in an ephemeral stream is finite, ranging from a few hours to a few days. However, for design of deep foundations, an assumption is typically made by geotechnical specialists that at the time of a flood event all stream bed geomaterials are saturated and fully-buoyant. This assumption leads to larger deep foundations because full-buoyancy can significantly reduce the geomaterial resistances to applied loads. Consequently, a large increase in foundation investigation and construction costs can occur. This paper presents a case study that included an evaluation of the infiltration of transient flood waters into unsaturated geomaterials within an ephemeral stream bed. Considerable cost reductions were realized as a result of this evaluation. The presented approach permits a rational geotechnical evaluation of deep foundations in ephemeral streams.

Keywords
Infiltration, Ephemeral, Bridge, Deep Foundation, Unsaturated, Pore Water Pressure, Flood, Scour

Citation
Samtani, N. C. (2020). Infiltration Study for Deep Foundations in Ephemeral Streams, Vol. 5, Issue 2, p.118-137. doi: 10.4417/IJGCH-05-02-04