Geotechnical Investigation Advanced Report
Geotechnical Investigation Advanced Report
Geotechnical Investigation Advanced Report
ADVANCE REPORT
for the
as prepared for:
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Project description is still not available from the client at the time this factual
report was being written by the undersigned.
Three (3) boreholes were advanced in the site by using Concore drilling
machines. The length of boreholes are 42.0m, 30.0m, and 43.50m for BH-1, BH-
2, and BH-3 respectively. Standard Penetration Test (SPT) was conducted by
obtaining disturbed soil samples taken from the borehole with the use of a 2.0-
inch outside diameter and 1-3/8-inch inside diameter split spoon sampler driven
with the help of 140-lb hammer free-falling from a height of 30 inches. In between
sampling sections, the hole was advanced using the rotary wash method. The
obtained N values represent the number of blows required to drive the sampler to
at least 300 mm of penetration distance. SPT was also conducted in between
coring layers where the recovery is very poor. After the sample and tube are
brought to the surface and separated, the sample is removed from the tube and
properly preserved and sealed using a moisture tight plastic bag for further
testing in the laboratory. For reference purposes, Tables 1 and 2 show the
correlation between
SPT N-values and shear strength parameters for cohesionless and cohesive soils
respectively. Site drilling works were conducted from October 06 to October 13,
2018.
Source: Kulhawy and Maine, 1990
Angle of Angle of
Relative
SPT Unit Wt. Internal Internal
Consistency Density,
NValue (kN/m) Friction, ø Friction, ø
Dr (%)
(Peck) (Meyerhof)
0–4 Very Loose 16 0 – 20 < 28.5 < 30.0
4 – 10 Loose 17 20 – 40 28.5 – 30 30 - 35
10 – 30 M. Dense 18 40 – 60 30 – 36 35 - 40
30 – 50 Dense 19 60 – 80 36 - 41.0 40 - 45
> 50 Very Dense 20 80 – 100 > 41 > 45
Table 1. Correlations Between SPT Results and Friction Angle of Cohesionless Soils
The depth of boreholes extended deeper than the originally intended depth of 30
meters in order to reach a hard strata. The recorded SPT N-values may be
correlated to determine the soil strength parameters. Certain correction factors
are used to account for Hammer Efficiency, Sampler Type, Rod Diameter, and
Rod Length. The corrected SPT N-value is then called N60. The N60 values are
given in Figure 1. These values may be used in correlating the strength
parameters given in Table 1 and Table 2. The average N60 value across three
boreholes generally increases with depth with an average of 20.
Figure 1. N60 vs. Depth Chart
The groundwater level was recorded for each borehole as shown in Table 3. This
measurement may be affected by many factors including weather, seasonal tide,
and through the introduction of drilling water. However, the consistent
groundwater depth recorded and the proximity of the site to nearby Manila Bay
suggests that the permanent groundwater elevation may be present at a shallow
depth.
Groundwater Elevation
Borehole No.
from EGL (m)
BH-1 3.35
BH-2 1.20
BH-3 2.20
Table 3. Groundwater Elevation
The underlying soils are composed mostly of silty clay and sandy clay with traces
of gravel and seashells. The top soil up to 12.00 meters from the EGL is very
weak with an average N60 value of 3. From this information, we infer that a
shallow foundation system for most mid-rise and high-rise buildings will not be
viable.
Meanwhile, the hard clay is encountered between 27 to 40 meters below the
EGL. The N60 of ≥30 is attained at 39.0m for BH-1, 27.0m for BH-2, and 40.0m
for BH3. At this zone between 27 to 40 meters below the EGL, it is highly likely
that refusal shall be attained by most pile driving operations. Therefore, this
advanced report shall focus on pile load capacities that will possibly be attained
at these depths under dynamic or static driving techniques. In choosing the pile
driving technique, surrounding structures should be considered and vibration
should be minimized. Splicing of piles should be avoided; otherwise, splicing
shall not be done on more than one location.
The results of the effective stress method of analysis using both end bearing
resistance at the pile tip and skin friction are given in Table 4 using a safety
factor equivalent to 3.0. To optimize the capacity of piles and avoid uniform and
differential settlement, it is required for piles be driven to practical refusal level.
Probe piles may be installed to confirm the achievable penetrations and to
exactly determine the refusal level. Preferrably, a two-phase pile testing program
is employed wherein the first phase involves verifying the calculated pile
capacities, and secondly, verifying the quality of the installed piles. The static or
instrumented dynamic tests is suggested to be conducted early on proble piles
so that any necessary changes or adjustments can be made on the rest of the
piles to avoid over or underdesign.
The nearest known active fault based on data from the Philippine Institute of
Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) is the West Valley Fault (WVF)
located about 9.0 kilometers east of the subject site. The WVF, based on
historical information, is expected to have the capacity to produce a magnitude
7.0 earthquake or more. The subject site is within Seismic Zone 4 with Seismic
Source Type A as defined in the National Structural Code of the Philippines 2015
edition (NSCP). Soil type SD is applicable for seismic load analysis. The Near-
Source Factor values of Na = 1.1 and Nv = 1.3 may be adopted.
Any excavation work must make use of a suitable slope protection system to
protect the adjacent roads and properties from damage due any lateral soil
movement along the excavation face. In this case, since the water table is
considerably shallow, a water tight excavation system is recommended with the
sheet pile system being one of the more economical choices. If sheet piles are
used, it must consider the upward transition of water. The slope protection design
is beyond the scope of this evaluation and is usually delegated to the excavation
contractor.
The analysis and design of foundation for the proposed structure are beyond the
scope of this report. The foregoing analyses, conclusions and recommendations
were based on the subsoil investigation data from three (3) boreholes.
Underlying soil conditions may vary from borehole location to another and thus,
may not be taken by-fact as the entire site’s actual subsoil condition. Should any
difference in the subsoil condition be observed during excavation or construction
works, the undersigned should be informed immediately by the Project Manager
so that necessary actions can be made.
Prepared by:
HENRY L. MAGPANTAY
CE: 0018143
TIN: 115-024-057