APPLIED FOUNDATION TESTING, INC. PERFORMS LARGE-SCALE LATERAL OVER-WATER TESTING

In February of this year a new Statnamic record was set for the largest lateral load. Applied Foundation Testing of Green Cove Springs, Florida achieved a lateral force of 823 tons (7.34 MN) on a pile cap at the Pascagoula River in Mississippi. The customer was the Mississippi DOT, and the testing was performed in conjunction with Dan Brown of Auburn University, and Gray Mullins of the University of South Florida. Schmertman & Crapps of Gainesville, Florida designed the load test program, and Dr. David Crapps supervised the testing. A total of 15 tests were performed. A 120 ft (40 m) barge was used as a runway for the Statnamic reaction masses as they were thrust off the pile cap. Berminghammer's 14MN Statnamic device and reaction masses were used, while AFT provided a special 'sled' to cradle the reaction masses and a 'jib' to support the Statnamic piston.

This testing was used to check the design of the pile cap in response to a dynamic load, such as a ship impact. Loads of over 1000 tons are possible with this same equipment, and larger Statnamic devices could be used for even larger lateral test loads. Congratulations to AFT on this groundbreaking achievement!

DIAGNOSTIC ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS LTD. INTRODUCE STATNAMIC TO TAIWAN

On November 12th, 1997, Diagnostic Engineering Consultants Ltd. performed the first Statnamic test in Taiwan. The test was conducted on a 900 mm bored pile at the site of a large incinerator project in Taipei. A 16MN Statnamic device was provided by Fugro Geosciences Ltd. of Japan, and the testing was performed under the direction of Fugro and Berminghammer. On November 15th, a second 16MN test was performed on an adjacent pile. The piles were 50 m long, and were primarily friction piles founded in clay.

DECL constructed a new gravel structure, base frame, and reaction masses for the 16MN testing in Taipei. They will use this same equipment with their new 20MN Statnamic device which is scheduled to be delivered in August of this year.

GROUND ENGINEERING PERFORMS TESTING IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

Ground Engineering of Sydney, Australia have started testing with their new 16MN device. On April 21, 1998, they performed an 8.7 MN test on a bored pile, installed by Franki at the site of the Olympic Village, near the new Olympic Stadium. On April 23, GE performed a second test on the same pile as part of a demonstration day attended by over 70 engineers. The site was operated by the Mervac Lend Lease Village Consortium. The test pile was instrumented with three strain gages, which were monitored by Sydney University. The testing was well received by the audience.

FUGRO GEOSCIENCES AND TAMA BLASTING INTRODUCE 30MN DEVICE TO JAPAN

The first Statnamic test with a 30MN device in Japan was conducted on March 5, 1998. The pile was a 1.5 m diameter pipe, 46 m long. The pile was tested to a load of 23 MN. A second test was performed on March 9, and a third on March 12. Although these three tests were the largest Statnamic tests in Japan, the companies involved were no strangers to Statnamic testing. This 30MN device, the 4th of its kind, is jointly owned by Berminghammer, Fugro Geosciences Ltd., and Tama Blasting Engineering Construction. These companies already own a 16MN device (Fugro) and an 8MN device (Tama). The 30MN joint venture is being managed by Makoto Tsuzuki of Fugro Japan, Inc.

This 30MN project was part of the expansion of a container terminal in the Port City of Nagoya, Japan. The testing was performed jointly by Fugro and Tama. The customer for these Statnamic tests was the Japanese Ministry of Transportation. It is expected that this 30MN testing will help to elevate the profile of Statnamic testing in the Japanese market. Although Statnamic has already enjoyed great success in Japan, it is anticipated that 1998 will be a year of even greater Statnamic activity.

Congratulations to Fugro Geosciences Ltd. and Tama Blasting!

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA/FHWA INTRODUCE 4MN HYDRAULIC CATCH MECHANISM TO THE UNITED STATES

On February 10, 1998, the first 4MN Statnamic Hydraulic Catch Mechanism was demonstrated in Montgomery, Alabama. The test was viewed by more than 100 Alabama State Engineers. Dr. Gray Mullins of the University of South Florida (USF) directed the testing with assistance from Applied Foundation Testing. The unit performed 2 demo tests.

This catch mechanism was built to operate in conjunction with the 4MN Statnamic device owned by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Dr. Mullins plans to work closely with the FHWA in Statnamic research. The unit is also intended for Statnamic demonstrations for State Departments of Transportation. The University of South Florida will derive some revenue from the equipment by renting it to AFT for use with their own 4MN device.

On February 11 and 12, the catch mechanism was moved to a research site at Auburn University where 6 tests on 2 different piles were conducted. This testing was performed for Dr. Dan Brown of Auburn. On Monday, February 16, the equipment was setup and ready for testing at USF in Tampa, Florida - it's 3rd site in less than one week! In April the device travelled to the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, near Boston, where it performed 7 tests on drilled shafts. This testing was part of a research project being undertaken by Dr. Sam Paikowsky, who directed the testing. The 4MN Catch Mechanism has performed beyond it's original expectations and will soon revolutionize pile load testing in the United States!

AFT BEGINS STATNAMIC TESTING IN THE US PRIVATE SECTOR

Applied Foundation Testing, based in Florida, has had a busy first-half of 1998. This new company has recently introduced Statnamic testing to the private-sector in Florida. Since January of 1998, AFT has performed 24 Statnamic tests on 5 different private sector jobs, essentially opening a new market. These tests are in addition to 20 tests and demos to date for various State Departments of Transportation, including Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, Mississippi, Missouri, and Iowa, with testing scheduled for Virginia in July. In June of this year, AFT completed a successful testing program in New Bern, North Carolina on the Neuse River Bridge. On this job, three drilled shafts were tested to loads of up to 13.5 MN using a 14MN Statnamic device (supplied by Berminghammer). The contractor was Traylor Brothers and the owner was the North Carolina Department of Transportation. AFT has work planned with the Mississippi DOT using the 14MN device for over-water lateral load testing. Loads of up to 8MN are planned for this job which is set to go this fall. AFT also has an upcoming 30MN job for the Florida Department of Transportation. Six 30MN tests are planned on a the 17th Street Causeway in Ft. Lauderdale. Berminghammer will supply the device.

AFT PERFORMS 30MN OVER-WATER TESTING IN FT. LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA

Applied Foundation Testing recently began a 30MN testing program in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Testing was performed at the site of the new S.E. 17th Street Causeway Bridge. The first test was completed on May 2nd, with an applied load of 30.7 MN. A second test was performed on May 17th with an applied load of 30.5 MN. Both tests were conducted over-water. Four additional 30MN land-based tests are planned for the project. The drilling contractor was Gimrock Construction, and the general contractor was Traylor Brothers. The owner was the Florida Department of Transportation. Berminghammer and Sambo Total Service Foundation Construction, of Seoul, Korea supplied the testing equipment.

The foundations tested were 48" (1.22 m) drilled shafts, approximately 30 m in length. All test shafts on the site included strain gauge instrumentation, and several shafts also include an Osterberg Cell at the toe. Both shafts tested thus far behaved elastically.

PRECISION MONITORING & CONTROL - CONTINUED SUCCESS WITH 3MN

Since taking delivery of their 3MN with Hydraulic Catching Mechanism, Precision Monitoring and Control of the UK has performed load tests numbering in the hundreds! Despite unprecedented success in the UK, PMC has not shied away from venturing into other markets. In the last 6 months they have teamed with TNO to perform testing in Holland, as well as Asqalan Construction & Development to perform testing in Abu Dhabi in the U.A.E. Details are given in the following articles.

PMC AND TNO PERFORM TESTING IN HOLLAND

In November of 1997, PMC and TNO collaborated on a testing job in Arnhem, Holland. A total of 31 load tests were completed, ranging between 1.3 MN and 3.0 MN. A total of 8 piles were tested in two days, with as many as 7 cycles on one pile.

PMC MIDDLE EAST AND ASQALAN INTRODUCE STATNAMIC TO ABU DHABI

In April of 1998, PMC Middle East, of Dubai, teamed with Asqalan Construction & Development to perform 2 demonstration tests in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The pile tested in the demo was a CFA pile that was installed by the contractor NSCC. The first load cycle was taken to 1.5 MN and the second cycle was taken to 2.7 MN. The demonstration was well attended by the local piling community, and it is hoped that Statnamic will soon become popular in the U.A.E.