2016-17 Geo-Institute Cross-USA Lecture

Friday, February 17, 2017 - 11:30 AM

Join the Susquehanna Valley Chapter of the Geo-Institute (formerly known as Central PA ASCE Geotechnical Technical Group) on Friday, February 17th for the 2016-17 Geo-Institute Cross-USA Lecture presentation entitled Column Supported Embankments.

Column-Supported Embankments presentation description

Column-supported embankments (CSEs) can reduce settlements, improve stability, and prevent damage to adjacent facilities when embankments are constructed on ground that would otherwise be too weak or compressible to support the new load.  Geosynthetic reinforcement is often used to help transfer the embankment loads to the columns in CSEs.  This presentation addresses three important design issues for CSEs: (1) the critical height above which differential settlements at the base of the embankment do not produce measurable differential settlements at the embankment surface, (2) the net vertical load on the geosynthetic reinforcement in the load transfer platform at the base of the embankment, and (3) the tension that develops in the geosynthetic reinforcement.  Based on bench-scale tests, field-scale tests, and case history data, the critical height was found to be a linear function of the column spacing and the column diameter.  The net vertical load that acts down on the geosynthetic reinforcement can be determined using a load-displacement compatibility method that incorporates the stiffness of the embankment, the geosynthetic, the soft ground, and the stiff columns.  The tension in the geosynthetic can be calculated using a generalized form of the parabolic method with consideration of the stress-strain compatibility of the reinforcement.

 

Food and beverages will be provided courtesy of Central PA ASCE. 

Speaker(s)

The lecture will be delivered by Dr. George Filz, Ph.D., P.E.  Dr. Filz is the Charles E. Via Professor of Civil Engineering at Virginia Tech, where he has been teaching and conducting research in geotechnical engineering for 27 years.  Professor Filz's teaching, research, and practice interests include foundation engineering, soil-structure interaction, ground improvement, and seepage barriers.  He has been recognized with several awards from ASCE including: the Middlebrooks Award, the Croes Medal, the Florida Project-of-the-Year Award, and the Wallace Hayward Baker Award.  He is the 2016-2017 Cross-USA Lecturer for the ASCE Geo-Institute.

Important Times

RSVP:  by Monday, February 13th to Cindy Gebhard by email at [email protected] or phone at (717) 763-7212 (x 2691). 

Date:   Friday, February 17th  

Time:  11:30 am to 1:00 pm.  Please arrive between 11:00 am and 11:15 am to sign in and get seated before the webinar begins.

Location

Location:  209 Senate Ave., Gannett Fleming West Building, Conference room W260

                             Or join by webex – please request log in details when making reservation 

All non-Gannett Fleming personnel will need to enter via the front entrance of the West building and obtain a visitor's pass.  Directions to Gannett Fleming can be provided upon request.

Registration

Cost: FREE for ASCE members.  $30 for non-members. Please provide ASCE membership number with RSVP

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