DISCUSSIONS

A New Technique for Reduction of Excess Pore Pressure

during Pile Driving: Discussion
BENGTH. FELLENIUS
Terrntecli Lrd., 275 Benjamin-Hudon S f . , Montreal, Quebec H4N I J I
Received August 21, 1974
Accepted September 3. 1974

The authors are to be complimented on an

interesting case history presenting an original
method of solving the commonly occurring
problem of development of excess pore pressures, when driving piles in soft clays. In Fig.
5, the authors present the measured pore pressures and number of piles driven on specific
days. This figure indicates that the developed
pore pressures were considerably smaller after
the installation of the Geodrain on the piles,
as compared with the measurements before the
drain application. However, as the magnitude
of the measured pore pressures is less dependent on the number of piles driven per day
and more on the distance from the piles to the
piezometers, a different plotting of the results
gives a better basis for the conclusions drawn
by the authors.
In Fig. 1, the writer has plotted or each
driven pile the distance against time to two
piezometers, numbers P-1 and P-3. A black
dot shows the distance (and date) of a pile
relative to piezometer number P-1 and an open
dot that of the same pile relative to piezometer
number P-3. The lower diagram in Fig. 1
shows the piezometric elevations measured in
piezometer numbers P-1 and P-3.
A study of the measurements taken before
'Paper by Holtz, R.D., and Bornan, P. Can. Geotech. J.
11(3), pp. 423-430.
Can. Geotech. J., 12,157(1975)

March 10 shows that already when driving

piles more than 20 m away from the piezometers, a small increase of pore pressures occurred (piezometer P-3). When piles were
driven at a distance of less than 20 m to the
piezometers, considerable increase of the pore
pressure was measured, which is shown from
the plot of measurements from piezometer
number P-1. After March 10, when the Geodrain was applied on each new pile, the piles
were driven closer to piezometer number P-3
and Fig. 1 shows also that despite the fact that
a larger number of piles were driven, the developed excess pore pressures were 50%
smaller than measured in piezometer number
P-1 before the drain application.
Figure 2 presents a plot of the same data,
where the axis of increasing distance goes
downward, which from a visual point of view
better shows the effect of distance on the
measured pore pressures.
The writer agrees with the conclusions drawn
by the authors. The authors' discussion that the
sandwells have a negligible influence can be
strengthened by the fact that the few wells,
which were installed during the last 6 days of
the measurement period, were located 35 to
40 m away from piezometer number P-3 and
the piles driven close to this piezometer. This
distance is too large to have influenced the
measurements.

PIEZOMETRIC ELEVATION

DISTANCE ( m ) OF DRIVEN PILE FROM

PI EZOMETER P-l AND P-3 RESPECTIVELY

VI
03

DISCUSSIONS

FIG.2. Combination of the data shown in Fig. 1. Piles driven at greater distance than
22 m are excluded.

Reticulate Ice Veins in Permafrost, Nort

E. C. MCROBERTSA N D J . F. NIXON
Srreer S E , C(ilgu,y, Alhertci T2E 655
Received August 27, 1974
Accepted September 12, 1974

R. M . Hardy and Associcrtc.~, 219-18

Mackay (1974) has presented a topical

study of the reticulate ice vein network found
in natural exposures of permafrost. This form
of ice has also been observed by the writers
in many exposures along the Mackenzie Valley
between Fort Simpson and Fort Good Hope
where it appears to be a ubiquitous form of
ice in fine grained glaciolacustrine silty clays.
'Paper by Mackay, J. R. Can. Geotech. J. 11(2),
p p 230-237.
Can. Geotech. J., 12,159(1975)

In these soils horizontal ice lenses are rarely

observed by themselves except as sub-horizontal
lenses in the active layer.
The discussers would like to expand upon
one theory noted by the author, by suggesting
two mechanisms for reticulate ice vein growth
that cause cracking in the unfrozen soil ahead
of the advancing freezing front. Water is drawn
into, or forced into, these cracks where, in time,
it is frozen by the 0 O C isotherm. It is to be
noted that while the writers agree with Maskay