Kleinfelder was commissioned to conduct a crucial footing settlement analysis for a new 59-unit warehouse project in Beverley, SA. The site presented unique challenges with its history as a former brick manufacturing plant, which included a large former quarry area comprising over 7 meters of fill material.

Understanding the Conditions

Kleinfelder’s geotechnical engineers firstly sought to analyse the proposed footings settlement against the structural loads of the proposed warehouse project. They then compared their findings with the client’s prior sourced geotechnical advice to use deep foundations for the construction – a recommendation which looked to incur a substantial rise in project costs.

Utilizing the Best Model

Utilizing client-supplied documents, the Kleinfelder team initiated a comprehensive geotechnical assessment, referenced AS4678:2002 Earth Retaining Structure, and selected appropriate analysis parameters. Finite element analysis (FEA) was determined using the PLAXIS 2D software to evaluate the proposed footing’s settlement given the nature of the site and soil present, adopting both Mohr-Coulomb and Hardening Soil long-term effective stress models. A detailed report, including site-specific footing type recommendations and highlighted areas for further treatment prior to footings placement was provided to the client.

Project Results

Collaborating closely with the structural engineers to accurately assess the foundation elements, the Kleinfelder team successfully tackled the site’s unique characteristics and provided the client with a settlement analysis showing that the final settlement of the shallow foundation would be within the acceptable tolerance and would hence significantly lower the project’s proposed cost.

Project Details

Location:
Beverley, South Australia

Owner:
Confidential Client