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ENGR9710B Industry Honours Thesis Report Sample

The report must adhere to the page limit, which is 4 pages (i.e. 4 A4 pages) with single-line spacing. Additional contents or supplementary information can be included in an appendix.

The appendix will not contribute to the overall assessment but can be used to provide further details if necessary.

Assessment Criteria

The total mark for this assessment is 10%. This assessment includes the following key criteria along with the relevant sub-criteria:

Reporting Results and Data

- Clear and logical presentation of relevant system(s) and results.

- Effective use of tables, graphs, and figures to convey data.

- Presentation of results supporting research objectives

Data Analysis and Interpretation

- Critical, accurate and thorough data analysis aligned with research objectives,

- Use of qualitative or quantitative methods, where appropriate

Integration and Relevance

- Results are well-integrated into the overall context of the research project.

- Clear relevance of results to research objectives and hypotheses.

- A coherent link with research objectives and expected outcomes over a range of scenarios/comparisons to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Integration and Relevance

- Effective use of formatting, presentation style, and high-quality visuals (graphs, tables, figures) that are clear, well-integrated and easy to interpret.

- Adherence to formatting guidelines, including page limits, and the use of
professional language and grammar.

- All figures and visuals should ensure that information such as axes labels, legends, and text are large enough to be easily read.

Solution

Brief Introduction

This project aims at studying horizontal displacements of bridge abutments on piles in soft soils media with the aid of RS2 software. The first research question is to make explicit the consensus on the behavior of pile foundations when exposed to lateral load and ground conditions of soft soil in respect to soil consolidation, pile raft foundations, and erosion. The RS2 software developed by Rocscience is used in the calculation and modeling of behaviour of the existing soil structure interaction. The anticipated findings include assessing the degree to which RS2 results compare with findings from prior research, especially M.K. Kelesoglu [1], and determining the similarity of other empirical findings from the similar context.

1. System Description

The system under analysis for the Assignment Helpline is a numerical model of a bridge abutment bearing on piles founded in soft soil. This system aims at establishing the lateral movement of piles as a result of load factors that include traffic loads and any other environmental forces. Both the RS2 software is used for the pile/soil interaction where required parameterssuch as consolidation, erosion, behaviour of pile raft foundation, etc. To prove the versatility of the conceptual approach and show the interconnectedness of such factors as soil consolidation, pile raft foundation, and erosion, figure 1 is used. By so doing, the overriding parameters that have to do with soft soil character and pile structural behavior are incorporated.

Figure 1 Overview of the system model integrating soil consolidation, pile raft foundation, and erosion. Image Source: [1]

2. Scenarios and Analysis of Results

Several case studies are discussed in this section based on the behavior of piles under consoliodation of soil, lateral loading and interaction between piles and foundations. The analysis is concentrated with key parameters which includes horizontal and the vertical deformations, initial and intermediate stage of the construction of the embankment, vertical displacement, and the horizontal movements in the clay layer caused by soil erosion. The results are presented through several figures to help explain pile behavior under different circumstances.

Table 1 Input Conditions for Each Scenario

Scenario 1: Horizontal Displacement in Pile Raft Foundation

The first analysis looks at the horizontal displacement of the pile raft foundation system for the loads acting laterally on this system. The analysis based on the RS2 indicates that horizontal movements are much significant in the relatively soft soil with higher consolidation rate. Pile movements in these areas are large under lateral loads; therefore, the distribution of loads on the raft foundation minimizes the detrimental impacts. Notwithstanding, the effectiveness study shows that increasing the stiffness of the raft foundation leads to the reduction of the overall horizontal displacement thus enhancing the stability of the bridge abutment.

Key findings:

• High soil consolidation rates lead to greater lateral displacements.

• Raft foundation stiffness plays a crucial role in mitigating horizontal displacement.

Scenario 2: Vertical Displacement in Pile Raft Foundation

In this case, the vertical displacements are considered. From analytical results of RS2 software it identified that the vertical displacement is smaller than the horizontal displacements but notable especially when soil conditions are soft. The piles undergo a downward displacement through the load of the embankment and the structural load which passes through the raft foundation to the piles. Intensity of the vertical settlement is higher at the edges of the foundation where piles are installed and the soil does not have adjacent counterpart to support it.

Key findings:

• Vertical displacements are concentrated near the edges of the foundation.

• Increasing the foundation stiffness reduces vertical movement.

Scenario 3: Embankment Initial Stage vs. Embankment Stage 6

This scenario aims at analyzing the evolution process of the embankment. During this stage, the displacement of both piles and soil is quite checked in the sense that major movements have hardly occurred. Moreover, in stage 6 of the embankment construction, both the soil structure and pile displacement are highly affected and altered. The bottom figure depicts the sum impact of the loading – horizontal and vertical deformations rise with each height added to the embankment. This scenario applies the concept of time dependent soil consolidation and the stability of the embankment.

Key findings:

• The initial stage shows minimal displacement.

• Stage 6 reveals substantial horizontal and vertical displacement due to cumulative loading.

Scenario 4: Vertical Settlements

Figure 5 below indicates that settlement is not evenly distributed with the central part of the foundation recording lesser settlement than the outer parts. This is due to the fact that the central area is able to handle more loads owing to the high density of piles. In the process of consolidating the soil it is discovered that the degree of subsequent settlement gradually increases, but does not exceed the admissible in terms of structure. From this, the simulation underscores the significance of controlling the kind of settlement that impacts on the differential movement that enhances the break up of the connecting medium, in this case the abutment of the bridge.

Key findings:

• Central areas of the foundation experience less vertical settlement.

• Differential settlement needs to be minimized to maintain structural integrity.

Scenario 5: Horizontal Movements in the Clay Layer (Soil Erosion)

The last case considered is the influence of soil erosion as a factor affecting horizontal motions in the clay layer. The RS2 analysis shows that with increase in erosion of the soil, the piles horizontal stiffness decreases, particularly in the upper clay layer. These lateral movements are especially more expressed in regions, where the processes of soil erosion are most acute. The results discussed above will stress the need to practice overhead erosion control measures such that excessive lateral movement cannot happen and hence cause a structural failure of the piles and abutment.

Key findings:

• Soil erosion significantly affects lateral stability, increasing horizontal movements.

• Erosion control measures are crucial to ensure long-term stability of the pile foundation system.

Table 2 Numerical Results for Each Scenario

3. Summary of Findings from the Results

The findings of this present study from the RS2 simulations are also in consonance with the research objectives formulated at the beginning of this paper and from previous or similar findings such as the one done by M.K. Kelesoglu.

• Simulation results of RS2 was well compared to the empirical data.

• Comparison of real lateral piles deflection with the analysis results indicates that soil consolidation highly influences it.

• The superstructure of pile raft foundations diminished lateral movement in soft ground.

• Lateral stability of piles is significantly influenced by the phenomenon of soil erosion.

References

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