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Documenti di Professioni
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Shara Mae Z. De Mesa, Jewel Emerald V. Higuit, Allan Cedric P. Tejada, Julius Mae P.
Tolentino, Lyka Mae O. Uao
ABSTRACT
Soil subsurface investigation of the construction site in Alangilan Elementary School was
conducted. The subsurface condition is determined with reference to the data gathered from the
DPWH Batangas II DEO. Stability of the soil for foundation construction was analyzed by
determining the capacity gross load using the Terzhagis bearing capacity equation, in which the
standard depth of foundation, 2.1m that ranges from 289kPa to 304kPa was used. The results
showed that the amount of load carrying capacity in the location of Borehole 1 was different and
lesser than the load capacity of the other two borehole locations with the difference percentage of
12.39%. Findings of this study show that a possible and unpredicted settlements may occur after a
certain period of time and suggests proper compaction of soil during foundation work.
I. INTRODUCTION
Soil subsurface investigation was conducted in Alangilan Elementary School for the
construction of Proposed 4-storey, school building. The site is located in Brgy. Alangila n,
Batangas City, under the Seismic Zone 4, and near to the known active fault, the Lubang Fault.
This investigation is important to foresee and provide against difficulties that may arise during
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The Industrial Inspection (International), Inc. wherein they drilled three boreholes to
scrutinize the subsurface, managed the investigation. The inspection was conducted mainly to
collect, interpret and model geological data to provide soil geotechnical information. From the
data gathered, different methods are applied and this include borehole sampling and in-situ testing.
This study aims to assess and evaluate soils description and determine the subsurface
condition of the site depend on the test results from various investigation. This paper will review
the dependency of the processes used based on the ASTM standards. It will conclude with a
discussion about what can be learned from this case study for the foundation design and
construction.
Department of Public Works and Highways set a standardize specifications for a school
type building construction. It is in line with the National Government effort to address the
The building structure which covers approximately 513 square-meters. The ongoing building
construction is expected to take approximately 215 days from design to occupancy with the
As the base of any structure, foundation acts as a medium to transmit the loads to the soil
or rock below it. Without a proper design, problems such as cracking, settlement of building and
to the extent, the whole building may collapse within the design life. The selection of foundatio n
is the most important part of the design process and most difficult to define because the selection
is governed by many factors such especially the ground or soil conditions. Example of isolated
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An adequate and appropriate site investigation of the subsurface is a requirement for any
project. Every foundation design requires the evaluation of the site conditions and also the soil
parameters. The fact that the soil is not a homogenous material and the soil profiles vary with depth
and location, an engineer must first determine the types of soil deposits at the site before designing
a foundation that can safely support a building. Site investigation or soil explorations are done for
obtaining the information about subsurface conditions at the site of proposed construction as well
Field investigation showed that the project site is occupied by alternating layers of silty
sand (SM) and sandy silt (ML) with pockets of clay. This investigation is consistent with geologic
setting of the Province of Batangas, wherein mostly underlain by weathered volcanic and
sedimentary rock.
Objectives
This case study is an assessment of the geotechnical report provided by the Industria l
to check the subsurface condition of the site based on the soil properties data gathered by
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Methods of Investigation
The sampling and testing methods used for boring are consistent with the present-day state
of practice for the design of offshore foundations. Wash boring procedure by ASTM D- 6286
provides drilling method that gives completely disturbed sample and is not suitable for very soft
soil, fine to medium grained cohesionless soil and is cemented soil (see Appendix B). In addition,
Standard Penetration Test (SPT) is performed in accordance with ASTM D-1586. SPT provides a
disturbed soil sample for moisture content determination and laboratory identification. This test
method is used extensively in a great variety of geotechnical exploration projects. Many local
correlations and widely published correlations which relate SPT blow count, or N-value, and the
To carry out this study, the researchers gathered relevant data from the DPWH Batangas II
DEO. Initial evaluation are performed through field investigation and consultation from the site
engineer. The primary objective at hand, is to gather information that enables risk assessment to
be carried out to have scientific predictions. Geotechnical data gathered from latter description
provides factual information on the analysis of soil parameters. The present condition of the site,
III. EVALUATION
All soil samples are taken from the site and conducted to DPWH Accredited soil laboratory
to verify and confirm the field classification and description. The soil samples were tested based
on American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) standard and classify according to the Unified
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Soil Classification System (USCS). Based on the data, the soils were classified based on its texture
and plasticity. Moreover, the laboratory tests carried out on selected soil samples are:
Subsurface Condition
A site-specific soil boring was drilled to characterize the subsurface conditions. The field
investigation showed that the proposed project site is occupied by the interchanging layers of silty
sand (SM) and sandy silt (ML) with clay receptacles and usually contain traces of tuffaceous
siltstone fragments (see Appendix C). This interpretation is consistent with geologic setting of the
Province of Batangas, wherein mostly underlain by weathered volcanic and sedimentary rock (see
Appendix D). Based on SPT N-value, the subsoil condition at shallow to intermediate depth is
generally very stiff, hard, dense and very dense with isolated pocket of loosely packed deposit at
Tables 1, 2, and 3 presents the summarization and idealized subsurface condition of the project
site based on the results of borehole sampling and laboratory testing consisting of three (3)
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Table 1. Idealized subsurface condition at BH- 1
From Table 1, layers of soil in BH-1 contain silty sands making it inadequate for support
because the granular particles will lose their friction and can be washed away, which can leave
Table 2 shows that the layers of soil in BH-2 are composed mostly sandy silts with slightly
plasticity and is considered as fair soil for support since it shrinks significantly when dry that
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Table 3. Idealized subsurface condition at BH- 3
Table 3 shows that the layers of soil in BH-3 are composed of the combination of silty sand
and sandy silt soils which makes it suitable for foundation and can be considered safe for
foundation construction, since majority of the layers are incompressible soils and can handle heavy
Groundwater table
The presence of water in the foundation alters the normal bearing capacity of soil. In the
field investigations, 24 hours after drilling was completed, Groundwater level was not encountered
in all boreholes.
Soil Properties
The engineering properties of the foundation soil are one of the important factors affecting
the design of any soil related structure. These can be obtained from the published empirica l
With the data on- hand and using SPT N- value correlation, the following are the soil
properties adopted for the analysis of soil bearing capacity and stability of shallow foundation.
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Table 4. Clays: (Essential of Soil Mechanics and Foundations, by David F. Mc Carthy)
Table 5. Mixed soils: Sand, Clayey/ Sandy Silt & Clayey Silt
The SPT N- values obtained from the field test were used to derive the soil parameters and
properties such as cohesion, friction angle, unit weight and bearing capacity. The soil bearing
capacity was determined based on the number of blows recorded in the field and corrected from
field procedure. The following equations were used in the calculation process:
= { + ( 1) + 0.5 }/
= { + + 0.5 }/
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Using the interpreted results of SPT N- value ( ), the following are the estimated net
allowable soil bearing capacity taken at various founding depth. These bearing pressures include
Allowable bearing capacity is what is used in geotechnical design, and it is the ultimate
bearing capacity divided by a factor of safety. These values are the theoretical maximum pressure
between the foundation and the soil which can be supported without failure.
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Table 8. BH- 2 Swell Index
Table 5, 6 and 7 shows a less swell index which indicates a small increase in volume in
soil, without any external constraints on submergence in water. Also, it shows that SM (silty sand)
Differential Settlement
Based on the Figure 1, data readings from BH-1 states that there is large amount of granular
soil found as the depth increases. Most granular material includes silty sand soils 1.4 below the
spread footing. In addition, settlement consideration was built in order to counter effect the
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Many building codes and foundation authorities specify permissible values. Terzaghi and
Peck (1948) specify 20 mm as the permissible differential settlement between adjacent columns,
Liquefaction Potential
A risk analysis has been developed for studying the likelihood of earthquake-ind uced
analyze the proposed project site in terms of potential hazard particularly liquefaction potential.
Soil liquefaction is the transformation of very loose fine grain granular materials such as sand and
silt. From solid to near liquid condition. The temporary fluid- like behavior of the saturated
granular soils typically occurs in areas where groundwater level is high. Considering the nature of
soil and the consistency of the materials encountered at site, the potential risk of soil liquefac tio n
The site is classified under the Seismic Zone 4 according to National Structural Code of
the Philippines (NSCP, 2010 Vol.1 6 th Edition). Based on the geographical setting, Batangas
province is surrounded by the active and inactive fault lines and trenches along the countrys
geographical map. The nearest known active seismic source is the Lubang Fault which is located
approximately 20 25 km southwest of the project site. The site soil profile type may be defined
as SD (stiff soil profile) or SC (very dense soil and soft rock) from Table 208-2 Soil Profile Types
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Field Investigation
for the case study. Based on the researchers keen observation during site visit, the soil within the excavated
depth of 2.1 meters is described as sandy silt with the mixture of lean clayey soils. Furthermore, according
to the site engineer, Engr. Fredericko Navung, the soil is good and suitable to build foundation with a 90%
IV. IMPLICATIONS
As a result of rapid economy growth, civil engineers are facing increasing technical
challenges than before in performing their professional duties. Much of the challenges are coming
from the uncertainties in the ground conditions, which are sometimes the product of mother of
nature or man-made, and the ability to adopt timely effective measures to reduce the inherent
geotechnical risks. To identify and understand geo-hazards, and formulate solutions to solve the
issues, it takes a geotechnical engineer to start off with solid learning of good fundamenta ls,
practical experience in executing the design in field, lessons learnt from case studies and failures,
risk management and communication skill to convey the design content and proposed solution.
The axial loads on the foundations are computed using Terzhagis bearing capacity
Borehole 1 suggest that the allowable soil bearing capacity with the depth of 2.1m ranges
from 289kPa to 304kPa. With the calculation process, the load on which the foundation of strata
can carry is 7904kN. This load compared to allowable bearing capacity of borehole 2 and borehole
3 did not produce the same amount of previous load carrying amount 9022kN. It was computed
that there is 12.39% difference with the soil bearing capacity of soil deposits containing sandy silts
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with small fragments of silty sand and lean clay. Detailed analyses comparing predicted loads may
result in unpredicted settlements from natural disturbances. This is due to standard size of footing
It is not easy to decide what value of settlement will have detrimental effect on the
structure. But in the case of the study, geotechnical engineers has adopted permissible values of
introduced which is advantageous for the soil foundation as it experienced possible differentia l
settlement in most part of the building due to granular materials below the foundation.
The engineering properties of the foundation soil are one of the important factors affecting
the design of any soil related structure. In order to assure the quality of soil, test procedures were
conducted such as Standard Penetration Test and other soil related test. From the test conducted,
shallow foundation may be adopted in the site. During foundation work, excavated foundation pits
should be well compacted, preferably, using high speed mechanical tamping foot and any soft and
unsuitable materials foundation within the foundation bed must be removed prior to lay down of
footing element.
The main objective of site investigation is to ascertain ground conditions and determine
the soil properties of the project area. Although the test results show that the soil is suitable for
support, additional laboratory tests for in situ soil must still be conducted for more accurate
measurement of direct and index properties of the soil and the designed load bearing capacity.
Aside from wash boring test and Standard Penetration Test, additional tests such as hydrometer
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analysis test, tri-axial shear test, and soil compaction test must also be conducted for the
engineers. There should be an explicit opportunity for the geotechnical engineer to review the final
design of the foundations before the platform is built. The success of any adopted ground
improvement techniques depends on the close monitoring system and the quality control in all the
steps involved in the engineering works such as sub-soil investigation, design and construction.
structure, there must be a modifications and variations in the design practice as there are differe nt
The design of foundation is beyond the scope of this report. The forgoing studies are limited
to a general evaluation of the subsurface condition to aid in the design of foundation system and
other aspect related to foundation. Its scope therefore is limited to this project and represents our
understanding and professional opinion on the relevant aspect of the soil layers and foundatio n
consideration. The discussions and recommendations presented herewith are based on the very
limited information and the available data collected from three (3) boreholes drilled within the
project site. Deviations from these are expected and unanticipated subsurface condition may be
encountered during construction and cannot be fully determine by the required test boring.
With regards to the assessment done on the collected geotechnical data, shallow foundatio n
is built and further assessed to establish scientific predictions of failure. The spread footing
foundation system was examined through site investigation linked with geotechnical data essential
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for overall analysis. This foundation is isolated spread footing rigidly connected with grade beams.
The footing is 4m x 4m, reinforced concrete. The soil is normally consolidated clay and sandy silt.
shallow foundation is adopted. By evaluation of soil parameters, the footing is required to have
depth no less than 1.5 meters rest on top of prepared sub grade compacted dense and non-yield ing
surface. The specified depth of 2.1 meters is due to the lateral stability consideration.
The conventional method of foundation design is based on the concept of bearing capacity
since the soils behave in a complex manner when loaded. Since the value of the bearing capacity
of soil from the test results at shallow depth is sufficient to safely take the load of the structure,
hence the layers of soil from the project are considered good and suitable as support for shallow
foundation, or for isolated and combined footing. In addition, given that the layers of soil from the
borehole test results are mostly combination of silty sand and sandy silt, the bearing capacity is
considered to be high.
connection with standardization of school buildings in national level. In addition, current design
methods is sometimes perceived to be suitable for some types of soil conditions. Lastly, case study
highlights three opportunities to improve current design practice. First the depth of the foundatio n
should be maintained in more than minimum to avoid impending failure of structure and the soil
itself. Second, guidelines should be reviewed for design checks on the overall foundation system
in connection of indicating the type of shallow foundation to be used. Third, soil strata should be
examined to determine the size of footing to be made. By this, accuracy for better stability of soil
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APPENDICES
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Appendix A. Isolated Spread Footing
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Appendix C. Generalized Subsoil Profile
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Appendix E. Borehole log 1
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Appendix G. Borehole log 3
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Appendix I. BH-2 Grain Size Analysis (ASTM D- 422)
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Appendix I. (cont.) BH-2 Grain Size Analysis (ASTM D- 422)
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Appendix K. Earthquake map of Batangas City
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Appendix L. Actual Excavation Site
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REFERENCES
ASTM International. (1996). Standard Test Method for Standard Penetration Test (SPT) and
Split-Barrel Sampling of Soils. (https://www.astm.org/Standards/D1586.htm)
Morales, M. M. Failure in Design and Construction and Their Investigation- Case Studies
Bosela, P. A. Failure Case Studies in Civil Engineering: Structures, Foundations and the
Geoenvironment 2nd Edition.
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