DIPLOMA IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

DCC3103 GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

Analyze Geotechnical Engineering Problem Using Appropriate

Method and Formula In Determination Safe And Stable
Earthworks And Geotechnical Structures

PREPARED BY:
Jafri ….ID…..

PREPARED FOR: PUAN NORPISHAH BINTI AHMAD

DATE OF SUBMISSION:
4 APRIL 2020
1.0 ARTICLE FROM NEWSPAPER/ MAGAZINE CUTTING REGARDING THE
CONSTRUCTION
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2.0 DISCUSSIONS ON THE CONSTRUCTION IN THE SELECTED ARTICLE.

This assignment discuss the article taken from FMT news online, 18 February 2020, wrote by
Jason Thomas with title “Bangsar folk anxious over high-rise projects after Taman Desa condo
collapse” as aforementioned.

Jason Thomas reported that about the issue of Taman Desa condo collapse whereby the
walls and tractors sinking collapsed into the soft soil that brings up the question about the
geotechnical engineering of the development projects in that area. There are partially built
condominium block in Taman Desa collapsed causes some of the oldest residential properties in
Bangsar worried their houses would not be able to withstand the impact of major construction
work due to the proposed high-rise buildings.

Some of residents also reported that in a few years before, at least two cases of retention
walls collapsing due to construction work and they expect that the soil was not able to withstand
major construction work. It was affect the structural damage to a bungalow during the
construction of a high-rise condominium along nearby area. The roads in the area are already
very narrow and the soil is so soft that a houses wall can be collapsed.

Therefore, this assignment will be discussed about the “Construction on soft ground area
particularly the Construction Over Soft Soil”. This assignment also will give some other cases of
the construction over soft soil in Malaysia to support the sample study taken from the news
article that has been chosen for this assignment.

Here is very interesting to elaborates the issues of construction over soft soil with refers
to the study done by Nor Ashikin (2019) which has explained that the study of Geotechnical
Engineering is covered the syllabus includes the problems of construction on the soft ground area
such as the stability and settlement problems, unloads large deformations. Therefore, the high-
rise projects Taman Desa condo were collapsed needs a study of soft soil improvement. Much
probably when this kind of problem happens, it must there are appropriate method and formula

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can be determined to taking into the account can help solving the problem of construction on the
soft soil.
Soft ground improvement methods have been used in many parts of geotechnical
structures to solve the problems of the constrictions over soft soil. First come foremost, there are
three techniques to be write down here are remove and replace, preloading technique with or
without prefabricated vertical drain and pile embankment. These three techniques involve with
determination of the suitable method to improve the soft ground such as the interpretation of
bore log obtains from the site investigations at the area of construction site need to be developed.

Therefore, an appropriate method and formula regarding the construction on soft ground
area particularly the construction over soft soil a step ahead is to investigate the subsoil profile of
the construction area consist of the very soft soils to soft soils which comprise a clayey soils and
silty soils with varying thickness below the ground surface. In addition, the characteristics of soft
soil such as non-uniform and complicated, high moisture content and loose sand deposit need to
be considered and measured using the appropriate formula. On the other hands, the earth
geographical near to the construction area is located also need to be considered.

The primary consolidation settlement regarding to the issues of construction on soft

ground area particularly the construction over soft soil can be analyzed based on one-
dimensional consolidation theory by Terzaghi (1984) due to the expected loading on site. One-
dimensional consolidation theory give the formula about the settlement of the heavy fill
embankment and high bearing capacity. For example the settlement under 8.0m permanent fills
about 473.4mm shows the settlement at the construction project area either it is excessive
settlement or not.

The appropriate method is priority in handling the construction over soft soil due for
some reasons. For example the method of Remove and Replace R&R is not suitable to
implement for a project because the soft soils layer is thicker which is about 15.0m of soft soils
need to be removed and another 8.0 of embankment need to be filled to reach the finished level.
In addition, the prefabricated vertical drain (PVD) method also not suitable as ground
improvement method for one of project because PVDs are used to shorten the surcharging period

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and accelerate settlement not to reduce it. Hence, PVDs also cannot load the high bearing
capacity which is about 160 kN/m2 of loading need to support for embankment fill.

Therefore, this assignment would give the suggestion that the high-rise projects Taman
Desa condo which had collapsed can be revisit with a method to choose the pile embankment to
load heavy fill embankment and to eliminate the effect of excessive settlement that need to be
decided.

3.0 SOME OTHER CASES CONSTRUCTION OVER SOFT SOIL IN MALAYSIA

This assignment also will extent the discussion to elaborates some cases of the construction over
soft soil in Malaysia.

Mohamad, Razali, Hadi, Som, Eng, Rusli and Mohamad (2016) have wrote the article
regarding the challenges in construction over soft soil – case studies in Malaysia. They
summarized that the construction on soft ground area is a great challenge in the field of
geotechnical engineering. The challenges such as slope instability, bearing capacity failure, low
shear strength and high compressibility of soft soil are the most engineering problems faced in
the geotechnical engineering.

Therefore, based on the article about the collapse of Taman Desa condo that has been
chosen to be elaborated in this assignment, the main focus is about the issue of construction over
soft soil. This assignment will give some other example given by Mohamad, Razali, Hadi, Som,
Eng, Rusli and Mohamad (2016) that also discusses and elaborate on the engineering problems
encountered in construction projects that facing the Instability of the ground during construction
works. There are two projects are namely Core Facilities Building of Polytechnic Kota Kinabalu
in Sabah and Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Integration Quarters in Klang, Selangor.

Mohamad and his friends explained that soft soil typically characterized as a soil with
low shear strength, highly compressible and low permeability. The soil is reported to be less than

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40 kPa known as strength and it can be physically moulded by light finger pressure. The
construction problems in this deposit are insufficient bearing capacity, excessive post
construction settlement and instability on excavation and embankment forming. In addition,
settlement problem can be defined as a deformation in the soil due to the applied stresses. The
geometry of load carrying system will be changed, and if the ground water level is high, a part of
the fill material will become buoyancy which will influence the total surcharge loading and the
stability of the soil.

Basically, soft soil in Malaysia is considered as quaternary sediments consist of alluvial

deposits and organic or peat soils. Soft ground usually found in the coastal plains of the country
covers large area of west coast and east coast of Peninsular and East Malaysia. Due to significant
proportion of soft ground to the country total land area and major economic activities and social
developments are concentrating along the coastal area, construction projects on these
problematic deposits are unavoidable. In the past, many failures related to high settlement and
deformation to structure such as embankment which resulted from the high compressibility and
low shear strength of soft soil have been reported either locally or internationally.

The construction problems of project Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Integration

Quarters in Klang, Selangor, engineering problems was encountered during the construction
stage. Installation of piles was commenced over soft ground right after site clearing without
preparation of proper working platform. Upon completion of piling work, most of the installed
piles were found to be deviated from original position after some times. Piles were also found to
be severely tilted and damaged at the location of the proposed lift pit and layout of the affected
piles.

The main cause was due to the displacement of soft ground as results of the moving
jacked-in machine and excavation work for lift pits. Such a heavy load that imposed on the
surface of the ground had triggered vertical and horizontal displacement of the soil. Due to the
existence of thick soft compressible layer at the site, the installed piles were expected to be
pushed away by the displaced soil as it was lowly restrained in the horizontal direction. The
construction of lift pit involved an excavation work with approximate depth of 2.5m below

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ground level. For the purpose of excavation, a 6.0m sheet pile wall had been proposed as a
temporary protection. During excavation work, the installed temporary sheet pile wall was found
to be tilted.

Subsequently, these problems had caused a great delay in completion of the project. It is
also incurred huge amount of additional cost to the project because a lot of replacement piles
were needed for the tilted or deviated piles

Meanwhile, the construction problems of project Core Facilities Building of Polytechnic

Kota Kinabalu (PKK), Sabah, facing the structural cracks were later detected at one of the main
building in the campus. The point of investigation, the drainage system such as perimeter drains
had also experienced serious settlement. When the structural assessment and geotechnical audit
on the problematic building was conducted, some investigation was conducted and carry out soil
investigation works and carry out geotechnical analysis and ascertained the integrity of the pile
foundation

From the investigation of subsoil profile they found that from the boreholes result
indicated the presence of fill material at the site with a thickness of about 7.2m. This layer is
underlain by 10.6m of very soft to firm clayey sandy silt with some organic matters. A hard
weathered siltstone and very poor weak sandstone was encountered at the depth of about 18.0m
to 20.0m onward measured from the ground level. In addition, the ground settlement within the
building compound is still active at time of investigation. Depending on the actual thickness of
soft compressible layer and height of fill at the site, a targeted 90% degree of consolidation
expected to be achieved within 9 – 13 years after completion of the earthwork. Therefore, the
main cause of the problems possibility due to the overloaded piles when subjected to the
negative skin friction develops over time as a result of settling ground. This phenomenon has led
the occurrence of differential settlement of the pile foundations that causing cracks to the
building.

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 Therefore, from these sample cases, it can be same issues with the high-rise projects
Taman Desa condo which had collapsed as reported in the article chosen for this assignment. The
issues is about the construction on soft ground area particularly the construction over soft soil.

4.0 CONCLUSION

In conclusion, an appropriate method and formula regarding the construction on soft ground area
particularly the construction over soft soil is one of the important part in the geotechnical
engineering to ensure the stability on the project. The problems with soft soil at the project
ground is pointed as a main contributor to engineering problems throughout the work
construction. To ensure that these problems can be reduced and finally be solved, a systematic
method and formula determination of safe and stable earthworks and geotechnical structures is
most important to be study further from time to time.

5.0 REFERENCES

1. Nor Ashikin Yahaya. 2019. Soft Ground Improvement Using Pile Embankment. A
project report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of degree of
Master of Engineering (Geotechnic), School of Civil Engineering, Faculty of
Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

2. Ali Abdul-Wadoud Mahmod, Sabarudin Mohd, Mohd Idrus Mohd Masirin, Saiful Azhar
Ahmad Tajudin, Ismail Bakar, Adnan Zainorabidin, Azrul Zulwali Kifli, and Ling Jen
Hua. 2016. Construction of Buildings on Peat: Case Studies and Lessons Learned.
MATEC Web of Conferences.

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3. N O Mohamad, C E Razali, A A A Hadi, P P Som, B C Eng, M B Rusli and F R
Mohamad. 2016. Challenges in Construction Over Soft Soil-Case Studies in Malaysia.
Soft Soil Engineering International Conference 2015 (SEIC2015). 136 (2016) 012002

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