Questions

Site Investigation
Question 1
The local authority has decided to convert a ‘brownfield site’ (a former industrial
site) to a new office development and sports centre called ‘The Complex Centre’.
The Complex Centre will contain both light and heavy structures at varying
locations. The office buildings will probably use pile foundations and the sports
centre will use various types of foundations, including piles and slabs.
An area close to the proposed site was investigated sometime ago and revealed
irregular pockets of fill material overlying relatively soft silty CLAY overlying
bedrock. The silty CLAY varies, but appears to have a maximum depth of 20m.
As the lead geotechnical engineer you have been requested to provide a new
site investigation for the proposed buildings. Plan the site investigation, with
particular emphasis on any subsurface investigation. You should give all relevant
details (including borehole locations, sampling depths etc.) paying particular
attention to any staged sequence that must be adopted during the investigative
process.

To obtain full marks you will need to discuss what information you are likely to
obtain from each stage of the investigation and how you would use that
information to determine the nature of the site and any further investigations
required.
 Question 2
It is known that a former industrial site contained several factory buildings which have
now been demolished and a layer of fill placed over the site. Your client has
proposed the development of a commercial offices consisting of five story buildings
over the pre-used building site. The old buildings were used in the manufacture and
production of textiles and were of various sizes ranging from relatively small factory
units through to five storey administration and fabrication structures. The site is close
to a river and problems with a fluctuating ground water level are known to exist.
Cracking of the concrete floor slab in the previous building foundations has been
identified (tensile cracks on upper surface of the concrete slab which is in contact
with the soil). Records of old ground investigations are considered to be inconclusive
and the client has asked for a more detailed site investigation to be performed.
As the Principal Geotechnical Consultant for the project detail a site investigation
programme for the proposed new development commenting on the difficulties you
may encounter during the investigation and on any concerns you may have. You
should comment on all stages of the investigation and why you think that information
is important.