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| YOSEMITE CHAPTER of the INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL |
| El Capitan |
| Half Dome |
02/15/2008 - Tired of talking liquefaction with soils engineers when you don't
speak their language? Read this report and you will have a better
understanding of liquefaction and how it relates to the Building Codes we are
charged with enforcing.
Pay close attention to section 4.0 which goes through a preliminary screening
list which can eliminate the need for further expensive testing on your
property. One major item that contributes to liquefaction on a site is high
ground water (generally within the top 50' of soil). If you have drilled a well
recently and can provide a copy of the drilling logs showing water was hit
below the magic 50' level, you have just removed one of the major threats and
possibly reduced the costs of your soils report.
Use this CA Division of Mining and Geology Special Publication 117 to educate
yourselves and the public.
Richard
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
01/08 - Compliments of Imad Naffa's Building Discussion Group - A timely
Discussion on Soils Reports & the 2007 CBC:
To help decipher the foundation and soils report requirements found in the
2006 IBC, the following article from Structural Engineer Magazine may be
helpful.
http://gostructural.com/article.asp?id=2376
=============================================
Section 1802: Foundation and soils investigations
S.K. Ghosh, Ph.D., and Susan Dowty, S.E.
Section 1802.2 of the 2006 IBC specifies where a foundation and soils
investigation (hereinafter referred to as a soils report) is required to be
submitted to the building official. There are some specific cases set forth in
the IBC where soils reports are required, such as in the presence of
questionable soil, expansive soil, and a high groundwater table. These
triggers are irrespective of the seismic design category (SDC). What may
come as a surprise to the code user is that even when these specific
situations do not exist, the IBC requires a soils report for a structure assigned
to SDC C, D, E, or F. And there is a laundry list of issues that need to be
addressed in the soils report, including slope stability, liquefaction, and
surface rupture. In SDC D and higher, the lateral pressure on basement and
retaining walls due to earthquake motions needs to be determined. This
requirement for a soils report can very much work to the engineer's and
owner's advantage, because the soil type is conclusively determined, which
may mean a more favorable SDC assigned to the structure.
What may come as even more of a surprise is that the exception for a soils
report found in Section 1802.2, which reads as follows, is not applicable to
structures assigned to SDCs D through F:
Exception: The building official need not require a foundation or soils
investigation where satisfactory data from adjacent areas is available that
demonstrates an investigation is not necessary for any of the conditions in
Sections 1802.2.1 through 1802.2.6.
A code user may not initially recognize that the exception does not apply to
structures assigned to SDCs D through F. However, upon close reading of the
exception, one notices that it only references Sections 1802.2.1 through
1802.2.6, and it is Section 1802.2.7 that requires a soils report for any structure
assigned to SDC D, E, or F. This mandatory requirement of the IBC for a soils
report for any structure assigned to SDC D, E, or F will result in a major
change in California practice where the UBC has not automatically required a
soils report based on seismic zone.
Answers to FAQs:
Q: My structure has been assigned to SDC D. Section 1802.2.7 mandates quite
an extensive list of requirements for the soils report. Are there any applicable
exceptions? The exception for an investigation in Section 1802.2 does not
apply to Section 1802.2.7. How does the exception at the end of Section
1802.2.7 work?
A: There are no exceptions to the requirement for a soils report for an SDC D,
E, or F structure. The exception at the end of Section 1802.2.7 applies only to
the site-specific study requirement for the purpose of determining the peak
ground acceleration. The peak ground acceleration needs to be known by the
geotechnical engineer to evaluate the potential for liquefaction and soil
strength loss. The exception allows an estimate of SDS/2.5 to be used to
represent the peak ground acceleration.
Q: Can you cite any references on the seismic design of retaining walls?
A: Following is a list of references for the seismic design analysis of "yielding"
retaining walls (walls that can move sufficiently to develop minimum active
earth pressures), such as that illustrated in Figure 1806. These references
(and others) and their application are discussed in Section 7.5 of the 2003
NEHRP Commentary.
Nadim, F., and R.V. Whitman. 1984. "Coupled Sliding and Tilting of Gravity
Retaining Walls During Earthquakes." Proceedings of the Eighth World
Conference on Earthquake Engineering, pp. 477-484.
Seed, H.B., and R.V. Whitman. 1970. "Design of Earth Retaining Structures for
Dynamic Loads," Proceedings, ASCE Specialty Conference on Lateral Stresses
in the Ground and Design of Earth-Retaining Structures, pp. 103-147. Ithaca,
New York: Cornell University.
Siddarthan, R.S. Ara, and G. Norris. 1992. "Simple Rigid Plastic Model for
Seismic Tilting of Rigid Walls," Journal of Structural Engineering, ASCE, pp.
469-487.
Steedman, R.S., and X. Zeng. 1996. "Rotation of Large Gravity Retaining Walls
on Rigid Foundations Under Seismic Loading." Analysis and Design of
Retaining Walls Against Earthquakes, ASCE Geotechnical Special Publication
60, edited by S. Prakash, pp. 38-56. New York: ASCE.
Following is a reference for the seismic design analysis of "nonyielding"
retaining walls (walls that cannot move sufficiently to develop minimum active
earth pressures), such as a basement retaining wall.
Wood, J.H. 1973. Earthquake-Induced Soil Pressures on Structures, Report
EERL 73-05. Pasadena: California Institute of Technology.
S.K. Ghosh Associates Inc., is a structural, seismic, and code consulting firm
located in Palatine, Ill., and Laguna Niguel, Calif. President S.K. Ghosh, Ph.D.,
and Susan Dowty, S.E., are active in the development and interpretation of
national structural code provisions. They can be contacted at
skghosh@aol.com and dowtyskga@cox.net, respectively, or at
www.skghoshassociates.com.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sacramento Bee Story Compliments of Imad Naffa
Visionary law's litigious legacy:
California allows uniquely generous payouts to disabled people who sue
private businesses and public agencies for violations of the federal
Americans With Disabilities Act. That has sparked a wave of lawsuits and made
the state a magnet for lawyers; By Marjie Lundstrom and Sam Stanton - Bee
Staff Writers
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$4.5-Million Ruling Goes Against O.C.
The planning department overcharged for building fees and then misspent
the money, a judge says.
By Jean O. Pasco, Times Staff Writer - January 6, 2005
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8-20-2004 -- News from Tom Liberty -- Aloha Everyone,
I've changed jobs again. I am a Project Engineer. Soon to be Project
Manager. This time I should be set for quite a few years. I'm working for
Metzler Contracting Co., LLC. We build very upper end homes in a couple of
the resort area on the Kohala Coast just North of Kailua Kona. These houses
are taking between 14 and 18 months to complete. The workmanship is just
perfect. Amazing finish work!!!
Aloha to all!!!
My email has changed to liberty@metzlercontracting.com
Aloha,
Tom Liberty
Metzler Contracting Co., LLC
808-325-0819 808-325-9848 Fax 808-936-6596 Cell
speak their language? Read this report and you will have a better
understanding of liquefaction and how it relates to the Building Codes we are
charged with enforcing.
Pay close attention to section 4.0 which goes through a preliminary screening
list which can eliminate the need for further expensive testing on your
property. One major item that contributes to liquefaction on a site is high
ground water (generally within the top 50' of soil). If you have drilled a well
recently and can provide a copy of the drilling logs showing water was hit
below the magic 50' level, you have just removed one of the major threats and
possibly reduced the costs of your soils report.
Use this CA Division of Mining and Geology Special Publication 117 to educate
yourselves and the public.
Richard
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
01/08 - Compliments of Imad Naffa's Building Discussion Group - A timely
Discussion on Soils Reports & the 2007 CBC:
To help decipher the foundation and soils report requirements found in the
2006 IBC, the following article from Structural Engineer Magazine may be
helpful.
http://gostructural.com/article.asp?id=2376
=============================================
Section 1802: Foundation and soils investigations
S.K. Ghosh, Ph.D., and Susan Dowty, S.E.
Section 1802.2 of the 2006 IBC specifies where a foundation and soils
investigation (hereinafter referred to as a soils report) is required to be
submitted to the building official. There are some specific cases set forth in
the IBC where soils reports are required, such as in the presence of
questionable soil, expansive soil, and a high groundwater table. These
triggers are irrespective of the seismic design category (SDC). What may
come as a surprise to the code user is that even when these specific
situations do not exist, the IBC requires a soils report for a structure assigned
to SDC C, D, E, or F. And there is a laundry list of issues that need to be
addressed in the soils report, including slope stability, liquefaction, and
surface rupture. In SDC D and higher, the lateral pressure on basement and
retaining walls due to earthquake motions needs to be determined. This
requirement for a soils report can very much work to the engineer's and
owner's advantage, because the soil type is conclusively determined, which
may mean a more favorable SDC assigned to the structure.
What may come as even more of a surprise is that the exception for a soils
report found in Section 1802.2, which reads as follows, is not applicable to
structures assigned to SDCs D through F:
Exception: The building official need not require a foundation or soils
investigation where satisfactory data from adjacent areas is available that
demonstrates an investigation is not necessary for any of the conditions in
Sections 1802.2.1 through 1802.2.6.
A code user may not initially recognize that the exception does not apply to
structures assigned to SDCs D through F. However, upon close reading of the
exception, one notices that it only references Sections 1802.2.1 through
1802.2.6, and it is Section 1802.2.7 that requires a soils report for any structure
assigned to SDC D, E, or F. This mandatory requirement of the IBC for a soils
report for any structure assigned to SDC D, E, or F will result in a major
change in California practice where the UBC has not automatically required a
soils report based on seismic zone.
Answers to FAQs:
Q: My structure has been assigned to SDC D. Section 1802.2.7 mandates quite
an extensive list of requirements for the soils report. Are there any applicable
exceptions? The exception for an investigation in Section 1802.2 does not
apply to Section 1802.2.7. How does the exception at the end of Section
1802.2.7 work?
A: There are no exceptions to the requirement for a soils report for an SDC D,
E, or F structure. The exception at the end of Section 1802.2.7 applies only to
the site-specific study requirement for the purpose of determining the peak
ground acceleration. The peak ground acceleration needs to be known by the
geotechnical engineer to evaluate the potential for liquefaction and soil
strength loss. The exception allows an estimate of SDS/2.5 to be used to
represent the peak ground acceleration.
Q: Can you cite any references on the seismic design of retaining walls?
A: Following is a list of references for the seismic design analysis of "yielding"
retaining walls (walls that can move sufficiently to develop minimum active
earth pressures), such as that illustrated in Figure 1806. These references
(and others) and their application are discussed in Section 7.5 of the 2003
NEHRP Commentary.
Nadim, F., and R.V. Whitman. 1984. "Coupled Sliding and Tilting of Gravity
Retaining Walls During Earthquakes." Proceedings of the Eighth World
Conference on Earthquake Engineering, pp. 477-484.
Seed, H.B., and R.V. Whitman. 1970. "Design of Earth Retaining Structures for
Dynamic Loads," Proceedings, ASCE Specialty Conference on Lateral Stresses
in the Ground and Design of Earth-Retaining Structures, pp. 103-147. Ithaca,
New York: Cornell University.
Siddarthan, R.S. Ara, and G. Norris. 1992. "Simple Rigid Plastic Model for
Seismic Tilting of Rigid Walls," Journal of Structural Engineering, ASCE, pp.
469-487.
Steedman, R.S., and X. Zeng. 1996. "Rotation of Large Gravity Retaining Walls
on Rigid Foundations Under Seismic Loading." Analysis and Design of
Retaining Walls Against Earthquakes, ASCE Geotechnical Special Publication
60, edited by S. Prakash, pp. 38-56. New York: ASCE.
Following is a reference for the seismic design analysis of "nonyielding"
retaining walls (walls that cannot move sufficiently to develop minimum active
earth pressures), such as a basement retaining wall.
Wood, J.H. 1973. Earthquake-Induced Soil Pressures on Structures, Report
EERL 73-05. Pasadena: California Institute of Technology.
S.K. Ghosh Associates Inc., is a structural, seismic, and code consulting firm
located in Palatine, Ill., and Laguna Niguel, Calif. President S.K. Ghosh, Ph.D.,
and Susan Dowty, S.E., are active in the development and interpretation of
national structural code provisions. They can be contacted at
skghosh@aol.com and dowtyskga@cox.net, respectively, or at
www.skghoshassociates.com.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sacramento Bee Story Compliments of Imad Naffa
Visionary law's litigious legacy:
California allows uniquely generous payouts to disabled people who sue
private businesses and public agencies for violations of the federal
Americans With Disabilities Act. That has sparked a wave of lawsuits and made
the state a magnet for lawyers; By Marjie Lundstrom and Sam Stanton - Bee
Staff Writers
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$4.5-Million Ruling Goes Against O.C.
The planning department overcharged for building fees and then misspent
the money, a judge says.
By Jean O. Pasco, Times Staff Writer - January 6, 2005
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8-20-2004 -- News from Tom Liberty -- Aloha Everyone,
I've changed jobs again. I am a Project Engineer. Soon to be Project
Manager. This time I should be set for quite a few years. I'm working for
Metzler Contracting Co., LLC. We build very upper end homes in a couple of
the resort area on the Kohala Coast just North of Kailua Kona. These houses
are taking between 14 and 18 months to complete. The workmanship is just
perfect. Amazing finish work!!!
Aloha to all!!!
My email has changed to liberty@metzlercontracting.com
Aloha,
Tom Liberty
Metzler Contracting Co., LLC
808-325-0819 808-325-9848 Fax 808-936-6596 Cell