The Earthquake Engineering Online Archive

Comparison of field measurements and finite element analyses for the Friendship, New York aluminum culvert

Duncan, James M.

UCB/GT-82-03, University of California, Berkeley, Geotechnical Engineering, 1982-07, PDF (4.1 MB)

The New State Department of Transportation conducted field studies of a long-span aluminum culvert at Friendship, New York, in 1980. Measurements included movements of the culvert, changes in shape, and strains. Piles that had supported an old bridge at the site were left in place when the culvert was constructed. A layer of weak, clayey silt underlies the entire site. Also of importance were the high backfill compaction requirements and procedures at the site. Comparisons of measured and calculated behavior of the Friendship culvert provides an opportunity to determine how accurately finite element analysis can model heave movements in weak foundation layers and effectively model compaction effects.

Available online: http://library.eerc.berkeley.edu/documents/GEOTECH/UCB-GT-82-03.pdf