pile driving near structural concrete placements 1

[conceng]

We have a project where a building is supported by 9" pipe piles driven into highly plastic fat clays. The concern they are having is with the concrete being placed for the adjacent shallow foundation building. Does anyone know of any good references for vibration thresholds for newly placed concrete or typical vibration levels for different soils due to driving piles?

Greg

 

[Ron]

Yes... I have participated in studies done to check the effect of pile driving vibrations on adjacent fresh concrete (whether in adjacent piles or shallow foundations).

The effect is negligible. After about 3 or 4 pile diameters of spacing, the effect is almost non-existent.

A paper was published by a couple of grad students and professors at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) about 10 years ago on the results of the study. I'll see if I can find a copy and post it.

Ron

 

[conceng]

Ron,

Thanks for the point in the right direction. I didn't find the report you reference, but I did find others that helped me get my arms around it.

All the data I've found supports what you said about negligible. In some cases it appears the concrete subject to vibration was actually stronger. I'm guessing it has some to do with timing of the vibration, and additional consolidation.


Greg

 

[BigH]

I'd suppose, too, that one might consider augering to a depth of some 3 to 4 ft below the adjacent foundation and then start driving (smaller pile than the augered hole). Would certainly reduce the vibration near the foundation.

 

[JedClampett]

I'd recommend setting up a vibration monitoring station near the adjacent building. If you don't have a record of the effects and there's damage (real or imaginary), they're going to find studies to show that the pile driving causes damage in China.