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OC REGIONAL DINNER MEETING June 2019
Maggianos Little Italy
3333 Bristol St.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
USA
714-546-9550

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Tuesday, June 11, 2019, 5:45 PM - 9:00 PM PDT
Category: Regional Meeting

Orange County Regional Dinner Meeting

Polymer Injection & Liquefaction-Induced Foundation Settlement: A Shake Table Testing Investigation

Presented By: Dr. Ahmed Elgamal, UCSD

Please join us on Tuesday June 11th at Maggiano's by South Coast Plaza for a ground breaking (shaking?) presentation on cutting edge research completed by UCSD graduate students in partnership with one of CalGeo's affiliate members. This research project was instigated at our 2018 Annual Conference in Santa Rosa when Cliff Frazao from EagleLift suggested a research topic to the UCSD students in attendance. We are pleased to announce that preliminary research tests have been completed and papers are being furiously written and submitted. Get a first look at this new technology for liquefaction mitigation!

Abstract:

A shake table testing program is conducted at the University of California, San Diego to assess potential of the polymer injection technique as a liquefaction countermeasure. Each test is instrumented with accelerometers, pore pressure sensors and displacement transducers in order to provide insights into the dynamic response of the soil and foundation system. Furthermore, two Cone Penetration Tests (CPT) are performed pre- and post-injection to assess the extent of soil improvement.

Strong base excitation is imparted by the shake table, resulting in liquefaction and excessive foundation settlement in the original benchmark experiment. In the second test, after application of the polymer injection countermeasure, major reduction is observed in the tendency for liquefaction, and in the resulting foundation settlement. Careful excavation after the shaking event provided additional insights as to configuration of the solidified polymer within the sand stratum, increasing the overall soil confinement, and providing solidified load paths for the shallow foundation load towards the more competent stratum. As such, these mechanisms have the potential to provide for: i) a marked increase in the soil resistance to liquefaction, and ii) a significant reduction in settlement of overlying shallow foundations.

This testing program is a first of its kind, and offers insight into the behavior of liquefiable ground remediated by the polymer injection technique. The potential for effective outcomes is highlighted, and efforts to establish analysis and design guidelines are warranted.

Speaker Biography:

Ahmed Elgamal is a professor in the Department of Structural Engineering at the UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering. Prior to UCSD, Elgamal was a faculty member at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Columbia University, and technical director for the Rensselaer Geotechnical Centrifuge Research Center. He studied Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at Cairo University (B.Sc.), and Princeton University (M.A. and Ph.D.), and was a research fellow at CalTech. He is a recipient of the Shamsher Prakash Award and the NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award. Elgamal was also a Lilly Teaching Fellow (1991-1992). He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Professor Elgamal served as chair of the Department of Structural Engineering from 2003 to 2007.

Details:

5:45pm Registration & Cocktails (sponsored by EagleLift)

6:30pm Dinner

7:15pm Presentation

8:30pm Conclusion

Cost: $50 CalGeo Members, $65 Non-members, $20 Students

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT!

We will be recording the presentation and it will be available to CalGeo members on the Members Club page within a day or two.

Thank you to EageLift for instigating this research project at UCSD and for being our bar sponsor! Cheers!


Contact: Kelly Cabal, [email protected] (949) 391-2436 with any questions.