Excavations are common on construction sites in the form of pits, trenches, and cuts adjacent to a hillside. Excavations are necessary for construction but can be dangerous. Stiff to hard clays seem very strong and will stand temporarily on vertical cuts for great depths. Clays are, however, deceiving. While the intact strength may be high, the failure occurs through joints. Most clays in Central Texas are jointed due to previous…
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This subject has received attention from many sources for many years, but nevertheless remains a hot topic with regard to design and construction of lightly loaded, shallow foundations in Central Texas. The prime design problem for these foundations is swelling or expansive clays. A shallow foundation is typically found under a residence or small to mid-size commercial structure. These structures generally apply a load to the surface of the ground…
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Most single and multi-family residences and significant number of small to mid size commercial structures utilize wood framing for structural support. Terms: Timber Framing – refers to heavy timber 8″ x 8” or larger. Lumber – surface finished (S4S) wood members equal to or smaller than 6″ x 6″ or 2″ x 14″. GLU-LAM – glued laminated layers of wood shaped to create strong, larger framing members sized from 3″ x 12″ to…
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Austin and Central Texas abounds with geologic faults, the most prominent of which is the Balcones Fault, or “fault system”. These faults are especially common in a band, which runs north and south through Austin and similar areas in Georgetown, Round Rock, Buda, Kyle, San Marcos, New Braunfels and parts of San Antonio. The band is several miles wide in the vicinity of the main Balcones Fault escarpment. These faults…
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The question as to when the proper time to apply the stressing force to the post tensioned cable in this type of reinforced foundation is of considerable interest. If you apply the stressing load too soon you have the danger of pulling cable anchorages out of the green concrete. If you wait too long there is a problem of excessive loads being applied to the foundation, due to the super…
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