Date
07 May 1984, 11:30 am - 6:00 pm
Abstract
A case history of the investigation and repair of severe foundation damage by sulfuric acid attack to the concrete piles supporting a chemical plant is described. In December 1975, several columns were observed to have settled up to 5 inches (13 cm). Since large quantities of sulfuric acid arc used at the plant, deterioration of concrete piles supporting the structure was suspected. An initial investigation consisting of the coring of numerous floor piles was performed in order to determine the magnitude of the problem. Because many piles were found to be severely deteriorated, underpinning of columns in the area of known damage was begun. During initial underpinning operations, additional investigations (additional coring, laboratory testing, examining piles uncovered by excavation) were performed. Ultimately, many columns were underpinned at great expense, and significant steps were taken to minimize the possibility of recurrence of the situation. The damage to concrete foundations which can occur in a hostile environment is shown dramatically. The extreme importance to the safety of the structure in minimizing acid spills and leaks into the groundwater or soil is demonstrated.
Department(s)
Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
Meeting Name
1st Conference of the International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering
Publisher
University of Missouri--Rolla
Document Version
Final Version
Rights
© 1984 University of Missouri--Rolla, All rights reserved.
Creative Commons Licensing
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Document Type
Article - Conference proceedings
File Type
text
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Montgomery, Michael W., "Repair and Replacement of Acid-Damaged Piles" (1984). International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering. 46.
https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/icchge/1icchge/1icchge-theme1/46
Repair and Replacement of Acid-Damaged Piles
A case history of the investigation and repair of severe foundation damage by sulfuric acid attack to the concrete piles supporting a chemical plant is described. In December 1975, several columns were observed to have settled up to 5 inches (13 cm). Since large quantities of sulfuric acid arc used at the plant, deterioration of concrete piles supporting the structure was suspected. An initial investigation consisting of the coring of numerous floor piles was performed in order to determine the magnitude of the problem. Because many piles were found to be severely deteriorated, underpinning of columns in the area of known damage was begun. During initial underpinning operations, additional investigations (additional coring, laboratory testing, examining piles uncovered by excavation) were performed. Ultimately, many columns were underpinned at great expense, and significant steps were taken to minimize the possibility of recurrence of the situation. The damage to concrete foundations which can occur in a hostile environment is shown dramatically. The extreme importance to the safety of the structure in minimizing acid spills and leaks into the groundwater or soil is demonstrated.
