Hello all,
I am currently working on a project which entails the following:
There is a steel fence which is welded to steel sheet pile which is slowly beginning to collapse; much similar to that of the "Leaning Tower of Pisa". The sheet pile is driven 12 feet into the ground and the fence is roughly 8 feet tall. The problem is that the steel sheet pile which runs along side a lake is beginning to bow outwards towards the lake. The sheet pile is not buckling but it is simply leaning. I need a temporary solution to this problem. Temporary being around a year and a half until a permanant solution takes place. I am wondering if there is anything someone can do to help me out with this issue. Any advice is greatly appreciated, whether it be formulas I should use for load calculations, stress, strain, etc....or better yet, even an idea as to how I could stablize the fence back to its original straight up position.
Thank you so much in advance!
Hi and welcome to the forum.....do people walk or play in this area? Be patient over the next day or so....you'll get some great replies.
The quickest and simplest thing that I can think of is to sink some concrete footings (with an eye hook) behind the fence and use a chain and "come along" to pull the fence back to it's original position.
Like I said...hold on...a bunch of the other engineers will help you out.
Good Luck!!!
Thank you Marky, I look forward to any advice or suggestions. Furthermore, addressing the question you had...no people do not walk within the area where the fence is located. This is essentially a security fence in a secluded area. In addition, I will most certainly take your idea into deep consideration...I feel as if that may work
Hi and welcome,
A pic or two of the situation would lead to faster suggestions for resolution.
Unless I misunderstand things and I often do, "leaning" is probably "bending" at ground level.
I am confused as you generously intermingle "leaning," "bowing" and "not buckling."
Dave
Generally, I will not give you the answer to your question, but I *will* guide you into discovering how to solve this yourself.
Always a favourite - Do Nothing. Could this work? Maybe you need to try the imperfect version, Do Nothing, but monitor the position of the fence over time.
I hope this may help you to visualize what I am talking about...thank you again
Marky solution
"The quickest and simplest thing that I can think of is to sink some concrete footings (with an eye hook) behind the fence and use a chain and "come along" to pull the fence back to it's original position"
1 vote for it except I would not pull it back to the original position.
Do you think that pulling it back to its original position will actually cause the sheet pile to bend? Do you know of any calculations I could perform to prove this?
Thanks, a picture paints a ... you get the drift.
How deep is the water on the other side of the steel piles? Not that it really matters as I think there will be almost as much cost in remedial work as fixing it permanently as you say you plan to do in 12 to 18 months. Unless of course there is another reason not yet divulged for wanting the fence looking straight. {wink} {wink}
Pulling the tops of the steel piles back may have an equal and opposite effect at the base and move the bottoms towards the lake with the dirt berm acting as a fulcrum. The situation then becomes ten times worse.
You could try using a backhoe in the sink area behind the piles to relieve some dirt-load before pulling the piles back, but I suspect the risk to move the bottoms will still be great.
It appears to me that water is the aggressor here. Maybe drilling some 1" weep-holes low down in the steel piles to prevent the accumulation of water in the soil behind the piles will stall any further lean.
This to me is one of those situations where remedial is not an option and not negotiable. But -- I have been wrong before.
Dave
Generally, I will not give you the answer to your question, but I *will* guide you into discovering how to solve this yourself.
Does anyone know of any formulas I could use that will apply to this situation which will allow me to further understand what is going on here. Any calculations at all would help....formulas for stress, load, strain, etc. Thank you in advance
Sure...
At approx. 39F pure water is at it's highest density (weight or mass):
1 Gallon (U.S.) = 4.951x10-3 yd3
Weight per US gallon is based on 7.48 gallons per cubic foot.
At 32F and a Density of 1.940-Slugs/ft3 = 62.42 lbs/ft3 = 8.3436 lbs-US Gallon
Dave
Generally, I will not give you the answer to your question, but I *will* guide you into discovering how to solve this yourself.
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