Soil swell testing for a medical office building foundation — laboratory 1-D swell testing to support slab/foundation design.
Scope
Soil swell testing for a medical office building foundation — laboratory 1-D swell testing to support slab/foundation design.
Site Challenge
Expansive clay beneath a planned medical office building can lift or drop a slab as moisture changes through the year. The design team needed measured swell values rather than assumptions before committing to a slab-on-grade or a stiffened foundation.
Work Performed
Quartet Engineers' A2LA-accredited laboratory ran one-dimensional swell tests on soil samples from the building footprint, measuring swell pressure and percent swell under the loads the foundation would apply. Results were reported in a form the geotechnical engineer could use directly in the slab and foundation design.
Deliverables
Laboratory swell test reports giving swell pressure and percent swell for each sample, issued for use in the slab and foundation design.