January 2009 Section Meeting

Geotechnical Challenges of the US 219 Expressway Expansion Project

 

Speakers: Robert Burnett, PE - NYSDOT Geotechnical Bureau Director; Darrell Kaminski, PE - NYSDOT Regional Design Engineer, Buffalo; John Kowalski, PE - NYSDOT Regional Construction Engineer, Buffalo

 

 

 

US Route 219 is a north-south highway connecting Buffalo to Salamanca, New York at Interstate 86, and then continuing on to Pennsylvania. The road is a four lane expressway from Buffalo to Springville, and then changes to a two lane road. The project is now under construction by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and extends the four lane expressway approximately 4 miles south of Springville.

 

In June 2007, after the placement of up to 6 meters of fill material on the new alignment (in the vicinity of Scoby Hill Road) serious movements with large ground displacement began to occur that interrupted the construction work. Subsequent investigations revealed a large deep-seated landslide was present in the area, involving approximately 1,000 linear meters of the new highway alignment and extending down slope approximately 400 meters.
Ground movement surface survey monitoring was initiated on June 22, 2007. Slope inclinometers were installed in phases, at first to a depth that NYSDOT thought to be reasonable to detect movement on likely failure surfaces. In a later phase, deeper slope inclinometers were installed that revealed a landslide failure surface located approximately 30 meters below the ground surface. Further geotechnical investigations were initiated to quantify landslide movements and geometry. The investigation included the installation of additional slope inclinometers to detect the depth and magnitude of landslide shear displacements and piezometers to define the groundwater levels within the landslide.

 

A total of 20 mitigation options were considered and four options were selected by NYSDOT for further evaluation. All four options included removal of the placed fills and elimination of the bridges over Scoby Hill Road. The four options evaluated were: Toe Buttress, Stone Columns, Full Unloading and Balanced Approach. After evaluation of these mitigation methods the Balanced Approach was selected by NYSDOT because it provides a means to cross the landslide area using practical construction methods at a reasonable cost, minor right-of-way and environmental impacts, and stays within the current construction schedule while partially mitigating for future landslide movements. The Balanced Approach implements a combination of marginal landslide stabilization methods designed to reduce landslide movements, thereby improving safety to the facility and its users. It is accepted that further ground movements may occur, with the possible need for ongoing maintenance and repair. This option constructs the highway at or below original ground to minimize fill placement and installs a system of trench and horizontal drains to reduce water pressure within the slide mass.

 

The NYSDOT will provide a presentation on the geotechnical challenges of the US 219 expressway expansion project. The NYSDOT Engineers will discuss the various strategies considered and ultimately employed on this major transportation project.

 

Date: Location: Time: Menu:	Wednesday, January 21, 2009 Classics V Restaurant 2425 Niagara Falls Boulevard Amherst, NY 5:30 – 6:00 PM Registration 6:15 – 7:00 PM Dinner 7:00 – 8:00 PM Presentation Chicken Marsala Meatballs & Pasta w/ Red Sauce Baby Roasted Potatoes Glazed Carrots Chef Salad Rolls w/ Butter Ice Cream Coffee, Tea & Cash Bar	Cost:           Reservations:	On or Before January 14th: ASCE/BAPG Members:     $22.00 Non-Members:                   $25.00 Students:                           $15.00   After January 14th: ASCE/BAPG Members:      $25.00 Non-Members:                    $25.00 Students:                            $15.00     Contact Brian Carlson at: 716-655-8842 ext. 2172, or bcarlson@tvga.com PDH Credit for this presentation is PENDING.