MEMBER PROFILE – ENGINEERING AFFILIATE
Piledrivers.org. Piles were cast and driven by local Charleston
PDCA members at the Citadel’s Outdoor Soils Lab.
In-kind services were also provided by S&ME and other
PDCA of South Carolina chapter members in support of Oregon
State University alumnus Tygh Gianella and his advisor, professor
Armin Stuedlein, Ph.D. with research into the use of driven
timber piles as a method of ground improvement. Full-scale, controlled
blasting field tests on driven displacement pile-improved
ground were conducted to study the response of densified and
reinforced ground to blast-induced excess pore pressures. S&ME
performed cone penetration tests (CPT) with seismic measurements
before and after pile installation, and monitored pile
installation with a PDA and performed subsequent CAPWAP
to refine the collected data.
Papers on the research have been written by Stuedlein, Gianella
and Canivan and presented in several peer-reviewed conference
proceedings and the Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental
Engineering ( JGEE).
A synopsis of the timber pile research is summarized in the
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2017 JGEE abstract:
“In order to make appropriate comparisons to the
baseline response of the native, unimproved ground,
explosive charges sufficient to induce liquefaction
were detonated in a control zone and the resulting
post liquefaction settlements were measured. Excess
pore pressures generated in the improved ground
were observed to be significantly smaller than that in
the unimproved ground, and resulted in settlements
that were generally one-sixth to one-third of that
measured in the unimproved ground. Piles tipped
into a dense bearing layer settled significantly less
than the surrounding soil and piles that were floated
above the bearing layer.”
Built for versatility
S&ME has become a trusted engineering and design firm for
resources, knowledge and fresh perspectives on old problems. For
those who don’t know us, we invite you to meet the revitalized
S&ME. We also thank our existing clients for their continued trust
and for their invaluable participation in our rebranding process.
Versatility will not only star in our external brand, it will continue
to guide and inspire. S&ME’s vision for the future also includes a
continued commitment to safety, sustainability and quality, and to
its employee-owned legacy. t
Photos courtesy of S&ME, Inc.
S&ME has been a strong supporter of PDCA.
126 | ISSUE 6 2017
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