RESULTS OF VIBRATION MONITORING OF VIBRO-DRIVING AND VIBRO-EXTRACTION OF SHEET PILES

Abstract

The geology of St. Petersburg is represented with a heavy layer of weak structurally unstable soils. Using of vibro-extraction and vibro-driving of sheet piles in such conditions requires a particularly responsible approach in order to predict the emerging dynamic effects and the zones of their influence on the surrounding buildings and structures. Therefore, the task of looking for possible patterns describing these processes is highly relevant. For this purpose, the authors have updated the map of engineering-geological zoning according to Zavarzin with use of more than 50 reports of engineering-geological surveys. On this map the sensitive to the high-frequency vibrations soil layers are identified. Also, more than 70 reports on vibration monitoring of vibration driving and vibration extraction of sheet piles in St. Petersburg have been analyzed. The influence on the value of vibration acceleration of the following factors has been investigated: the geological features of the site, the distance to the source of vibrations, the characteristics of the vibrating hammer (operating frequency, driving force) and sheet pile (length, cross section), the location of measurements (on the ground or on a structural element of the building). The result of the work is the diagrams that clearly show the presence or absence of a relationship between the studied parameters. The absence of dependencies for some of the investigated parameters may be caused by the factors which influence cannot be predicted. These factors are the occurrence of large friction forces in the joints of sheet piles; the presence of lenses of dense soils or boulders during sheet piles driving; violations of the technological process. The zone of the influence of high-frequency dynamic impact was identified as 25 meters, which is in good agreement with the results of in-situ monitoring.