7/12/2016

TrenchFillFoundationDesignDecisions.|Builder'sEngineer

AtypicaltrenchllfoundationisshowninFig.11.7where(a)indicatesatypicalsection,(b)showsthetypical
designforces,and(c)illustratesthepossibleexternallyappliedgroundstrainswhichcanprovecritical.Suchstrains
cananddocauseseriousdamagetobuildingsandtheirnishes.
Theconsiderationstobemadethereforeinthedesigndecisionsrelateto:
(1)Thedepthandtypeofsuitablegroundbearingstratarelativetofoundationloading.
(2)Thelikelihoodoflargehorizontalgroundstrainsduetomoisturechangesinthesubstrata,miningactivityor
frost.
(3)Theeconomyoftrenchllversusnormalstripfootings.

Fig.11.7Trenchllconditions.

Considering(1),stripfootingscanproveeconomicformediumloadsatshallowtomediumdepthsonrmtostiff
substrata,forexample,100300kN/m2at6001500mmdeeponrmtostiffclay,rmtodensesandorrmto
stiffsandyclayorclayeysand.
Considering(2),providedthatthesubstratumisnotasensitiveclay,i.e.nothighlyshrinkable,andprovidedthat
thereisnolikelihoodoflargegroundstrainsfromminingorotheractivities,thentrenchllfootingsshouldbe
considered.Standardtrenchstripsshouldgenerallybeavoidedwherelateralforcesmaybepickedupfrombelow
groundonthesidesofthefooting.Avoidorcushioncanhoweverbeadoptedtopreventthetransferofsuchforces
wherethisisappropriate.Alternatively,thefoundationanditssuperstructuremay,incertaincircumstances,be
designedtoresisttheforcetransferred.
Considering(3),theeconomicsofanypotentialsolutionvarywithtimeandaredependenton:
(a)Materialcostsandavailability,
(b)Excavationtechnologyandmachinery,
(c)Weatherconditionsandlikelystabilityoftrenches,and
(d)Manpoweravailabilityandotherconditionsrelatingtoaparticularsite.
Asageneralruleprovidingthatthetrenchescanremainstableforasuitableperiodtoallowexcavationandcasting
ofconcrete,andthatconditions(1)and(2)areappropriate,thentrenchllshouldbeconsideredinanycomparison
exercises,particularlyifthewidthofanormalstripfootingwouldbedictatedbytheworkingspacerequiredforbrick
layingbelowground.
Undersuchconditions,thesolutionislikelytoprovecompetitivebothfromacostpointofviewandspeedof
construction.Thespeedofconstructioncanbeparticularlyimportantwheretrenchstabilityistimerelatedandwhere
foundationsarebeingconstructedthroughawinterperiod.
Undersuchconditionsamassconcretetrenchllcouldbeadopted.However,theuseofstoneorconcreteisan
economicdecisionbaseduponthegroundconditions,thelongandshorttermstabilityofthetrenches,andthe
availabilityofthematerials(seeTable10.2).

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