Upstate Branch Monthly Meeting
COST: Member $7.00; Non-member $12 plus food cost
Forensic Analysis of an Excavation Bracing System
This presentation is a case study of the failure of an excavation bracing system with a sloping backfill. The initial stages of the failure were detected by a continuous automated monitoring system. The early detection allowed remedial measures to be implemented to minimize the effects of the failure and restore stability to the slope. An evaluation of the site conditions after the failure suggested that the failure mechanism was related to slickensides present within the weathered rock and rock matrix. Prior to the failure, the slickensides were undetected by previous geotechnical studies or preliminary observations of the excavation. The presentation examines the geotechnical and construction conditions that led to the failure as well as an analysis of the failure using reliability methods. The results of the reliability analysis with slickensides present are compared with the results of the analysis with slickensides absent. This enabled an estimate the probability of failure in either case and make a comparison as to the likely cause.
Danny Brahana
In his 40 years as a staff, senior and principal engineer, Mr. Brahana has performed geotechnical and construction inspection duties for over 500 new construction and existing projects in the southeastern United States. He has also worked on projects in Asia, the Caribbean and in Africa. From 2004 to 2022, Mr. Brahana served as principal engineer for a geotechnical construction company. During this time, he oversaw the design and/or construction of more than 100 excavation bracing (shoring) and drilled shaft projects in the southeast. Mr. Brahana is a 1984 graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology and is a registered professional engineer in Georgia.
Registration ends Sunday, October 20, 2024
ReWa Discovery Lab, 564 Mauldin Rd, Greenville, SC 29607
