Infiltration Study for Deep Foundations in Ephemeral Streams
Document Info
Title: Infiltration Study for Deep Foundations in Ephemeral Streams
Document Type: Article
Authored By: Naresh C. Samtani, PhD, PE, BC.GE, F.ASCE
Sponsoring Agency: NCS GeoResources, LLC
Abstract
The duration of a flood event in an ephemeral stream is finite, ranging from a few hours to a few days. However, for design of deep foundations, an assumption is typically made by geotechnical specialists that at the time of a flood event all stream bed geomaterials are saturated and fully-buoyant. This assumption leads to larger deep foundations because full-buoyancy can significantly reduce the geomaterial resistances to applied loads. Consequently, a large increase in foundation investigation and construction costs can occur. This paper presents a case study that included an evaluation of the infiltration of transient flood waters into unsaturated geomaterials within an ephemeral stream bed. Considerable cost reductions were realized as a result of this evaluation. The presented approach permits a rational geotechnical evaluation of deep foundations in ephemeral streams.
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