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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSoils Report 08.10.2017HPKU MAR Geotechnical Engineering 1 Engineering Geology Materials Testing 1 Environmental 5020 County Road 154 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 Phone: (970) 945-7988 Fax: (970) 945-8454 Email: hpkglenwood@kumarusa.com Office Locations: Parker, Glenwood Springs, and Silverthorne, Colorado SUBSOIL STUDY FOR FOUNDATION DESIGN PROPOSED RESIDENCE LOT 13, COTTONWOOD HOLLOW 5000 CATTLE CREEK ROAD GARFIELD COUNTY, COLORADO PROJECT NO. 17-7-567 AUGUST 10, 2017 PREPARED FOR: CHRIS ERICKSON P. O. BOX 3782 BASALT, COLORADO 81621 (chrisericksonart @gmaii.com) ECEIVE1 AUG 1 5 2017 GApRFIELDCOUN-ice,' )i4 mtiN I I iDEvI..l.opuj.? TABLE OF CONTENTS PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF STUDY - 1 - BACKGROUND INFORMATION - 1 - PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION - 1 SITE CONDITIONS - 2 - GEOLOGIC CONDITIONS 2 - GEOLOGIC HAZARD EVALUATION _ 3 _ SUBSIDENCE POTENTIAL 3 _ FIELD EXPLORATION - 4 -. SUBSURFACE CONDITIONS - 4 - DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS _ S _ FOUNDATIONS _ S FOUNDATION AND RETAINING WALLS.... - 6 - FLOORSLABS -7- UNDERDRAIN SYSTEM _ 8 SITE GRADING - 8 _ SURFACE DRAINAGE - 9 - LIMITATIONS - 9 - REFERENCES - 11 - FIGURE 1 - LOCATION OF EXPLORATORY BORING FIGURE 2 - LOG OF EXPLORATORY BORING FIGURE 3 - GRADATION TEST RESULTS TABLE 1- SUMMARY OF LABORATORY TEST RESULTS Project No. 17-7-567 H-P:KUMAR PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF STUDY This report presents the results of a subsoil study for a proposed residence to be located on Lot 13, Cottonwood Hollow, 5000 Cattle Creek Road (County Road 113), Garfield County, Colorado. The project site is shown on Figure 1. The purpose of the study was to develop recommendations for the foundation and grading designs. The study was conducted as supplemental services to Hepworth-Pawlak Geotechnical (now HP/Kumar) agreement for geotechnical engineering services to Chris Erickson dated July 20, 2017. An exploratory boring was drilled to obtain information on the subsurface conditions. Samples of the subsoils obtained during the field exploration were tested in the laboratory to determine their classification and other engineering characteristics. The results of the field exploration and • laboratory testing were analyzed to develop recommendations for foundation types, depths and allowable pressures for the proposed building foundation, as well as for the site grading. This report summarizes the data obtained during this study and presents our conclusions, design recommendations and other geotechnical engineering considerations based on the proposed construction and the subsurface conditions encountered. A discussion of the geologic conditions at the site are included in the report. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Hepworth-Pawlak Geotechnical previously reviewed the subject site conditions and reported the findings in a report dated April 18, 2016, Job No. 116 110A. That report provided preliminary foundation design recommendations based on the soils exposed in the existing cut excavation at the site and a general discussion of the existing cut slope and geologic conditions. The County has requested a subsoil study be performed and additional discussion and recommendations with respect to hillside stability, the existing cut slope and potential geologic hazards at the site. PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION The building will be one story wood frame structure over a walkout basement level with an attached garage at the basement level located on the site as shown on Figure 1. Ground floors H-P%KUMAR Project No. 17-7-567 -2 - will be slab -on -grade. The uphill building foundation walls will retain the lower part (about 15 feet) of the existing cut slope 011 the north side. Site retaining walls up to about 10 feet high will retain the remainder of the existing cut on the north side of the residence as well as the portion of the existing uphill driveway cut near the residence. Swales will be located above the walls and drain provided behind the walls per the current plans. Grading for the structure will require shallow cuts on the order of 3 to 4 feet below the existing relatively flat excavation subgrade. We assume relatively light foundation loadings, typical of the proposed type of construction. If building loadings, location or grading plans change significantly from those described above, we should be notified to re-evaluate the recommendations contained in this report. SITE CONDITIONS The site conditions are similar to those discussed in the April 2016 report. Elevation of the site is about 6660 feet and the property is vacant of structures. A rough cut driveway from County Road 113 accesses the building site. Vegetation in undisturbed areas consists of moderately thick pinion and juniper trees with a ground cover of grass and weeds. The site is located on steeply sloping, south facing hillside above Cattle Creek Road. An area within the building envelope has been graded relatively flat with cuts up to 25 feet and up to about 5 feet of fill on the down slope side of the relatively flat bench. The soils exposed in the driveway and building area cuts consist of basalt gravel, cobbles and boulders in a sandy silty clay matrix. Boulders up to about 5 feet in diameter were observed on the site. There are subangular basalt cobbles and small boulders on the ground surface above the building site. GEOLOGIC CONDITIONS The site is located near the base of a rolling upland mesa to the north and above Cattle Creek to the south. The hillside rises about 500 feet in elevation to the mesa top. The mesa was formed by basalt lava flows which overlie the Eagle Valley Evaporite Formation. The surficial soils consist of weathered basalt rock in a sandy silt and clay matrix. Basalt flows outcrop near the mesa top. Geologic hazards identified in the project area include landslides, unstable slopes, H-P%KUMAR Project No. 17-7-567 stable in its present condition. The existing 25 feet high cut slope on at the building site, whicl. -3 - potentially unstable slopes and rockfall (Lincoln DeVore, 1984). Most of the larger rocks on the hillside slope above and nearer the residence have recently been removed by the client. GEOLOGIC HAZARD EVALUATION Based on our observations at the site and our experience in the area, the building area is not impacted by snow avalanche, debris avalanche, debris flow or flooding. No evidence of landslides was observed at or near the site at the time of our field visit. The hillside appears is about 15 years old, has shown no movement or evidence of water seepage, and minor signs of erosion. The existing cut slope at the site appears stable and will be mostly retained by the new construction which should act to increase the hillside stability with proper design and construction. The risk of rockfall is from basalt cobbles and boulders on the ground surface above the building area on the steep slope appears low based on the subangular nature of the rocks. The rockfall hazard can be further reduce by removing any additional loose rocks from the hillside above the building site. Larger rocks on the existing cut face could also be removed as needed for the protection of workers near the slope. SUBSIDENCE POTENTIAL Bedrock of the Pennsylvanian Age Eagle Valley Evaporite underlies the Cottonwood Hollow Subdivision. These rocks are a sequence of gypsiferious shale, fine-grained sandstone/siltstone and limestone with some massive beds of gypsum. There is a possibility that massive gypsum deposits associated with the Eagle Valley Evaporite underlie portions of the property. Dissolution of the gypsum under certain conditions can cause sinkholes to develop and can produce areas of localized subsidence. During previous work in the area, several very scattered sinkholes have been observed. These sinkholes appear similar to others associated with the Eagle Valley Evaporite in areas of the Roaring Fork River valley. H-P�KUMAR Project No. 17-7-567 site throughout the service life of the residence, in our opinion is low; -4 - No evidence of subsidence or sinkholes were observed on the property or encountered in the subsurface materials, however, the exploratory boring was relatively shallow, for foundation design only. Based on our present knowledge of the subsurface conditions at the site, it can not be said for certain that sinkholes will not develop. The risk of future ground subsidence at the however, the owner should be aware of the potential for sinkhole development. If further investigation of possible cavities in the bedrock below the site is desired, we should be contacted. FIELD EXPLORATION The field exploration for the project was conducted on July 24, 2017. One exploratory boring was drilled at the location shown on Figure 1 to evaluate the general subsurface conditions. The boring was advanced with 4 inch diameter continuous flight auger powered by a truck mounted CME -45B drill rig. The boring was logged by a representative of H-P/Kumar. Samples of the subsoils were taken with a 1% inch I.D. spoon sampler. The sampler was driven into the subsoils at various depths with blows from a 140 pound hammer falling 30 inches. This test is similar to the standard penetration test described by ASTM Method D-1586. The penetration resistance values are an indication of the relative density or consistency of the subsoils. Depths at which the samples were taken and the penetration resistance values are shown on the Log of Exploratory Boring, Figure 2. The samples were returned to our laboratory for review by the project engineer and testing. SUBSURFACE CONDITIONS A graphic log of the subsurface conditions encountered at the site are shown on Figure 2. The subsoils consist of relatively dense, basalt gravel, cobbles and boulders in a sandy silty clay matrix. Drilling in the dense granular soils with auger equipment was difficult due to the cobbles and boulders and drilling refusal was encountered in the deposit at depths of 5 and 71/2 feet. H-P�KUMAR Project No. 17-7-567 _5 - Laboratory testing performed on samples obtained from the borings included natural moisture content and gradation analyses. Results of gradation analyses performed on a small diameter drive sample (minus 11/2 inch fraction) of the granular subsoils are shown on Figure 3. The laboratory testing is summarized in Table 1. No free water was encountered in the boring at the time of drilling and the subsoils were slightly moist to moist. DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS FOUNDATIONS Considering the subsurface conditions encountered in the exploratory boring and the nature of the proposed construction, we recommend the building be founded with spread footings bearing on the natural granular soils. The design and construction criteria presented below should be observed for a spread footing foundation system. 1) Footings placed on the undisturbed natural granular soils should be designed for an allowable bearing pressure of 2,000 psf. The allowable soil bearing pressure can be increased by 1/3 for retaining wall toe pressures. Based on experience, we expect settlement of footings designed and constructed as discussed in this section will be about 1 inch. There could be some additional settlement if the silty clay matrix soils were to become wetted and precautions should be taken to prevent wetting of the bearing soils. 2) The footings should have a minimum width of 18 inches for continuous walls and 2 feet for isolated pads. 3) Exterior footings and footings beneath unheated areas should be provided with adequate soil cover above their bearing elevation for frost protection. Placement of foundations at least 36 inches below exterior grade is typically used in this area. H-Pt-KUMAR Project No. 17-7-567 -6- 4) Continuous foundation walls should be well reinforced top and bottom to span local anomalies such as by assuming an unsupported length of at least 12 feet. Foundation walls acting as retaining structures should also be designed to resist Iateral earth pressures as discussed in the "Foundation and Retaining Walls" section of this report. 5) All existing fill, topsoil and any loose or disturbed soils should be removed and the footing bearing level extended down to the relatively dense natural granular soils. The exposed soils in footing area should then be moistened and compacted. 6) A representative of the geotechnical engineer should observe all footing excavations prior to concrete placement to evaluate bearing conditions. FOUNDATION AND RETAINING WALLS Foundation walls and retaining structures less than 12 feet in height which are laterally supported and can be expected to undergo only a slight amount of deflection should be designed for a lateral earth pressure computed on the basis of an equivalent fluid unit weight of at least 50 pcf for backfill consisting of the on-site soils. Foundation and retaining walls greater than 12 feet in height should be designed for a lateral earth pressure of 25H in psf where H is the retained wall height in feet. Cantilevered retaining structures which are separate from the residence and can be expected to deflect sufficiently to mobilize the full active earth pressure condition should be designed for a lateral earth pressure computed on the basis of an equivalent fluid unit weight of at least 50 pcf for backfill consisting of the on-site soils. The backfill should not contain topsoil or oversized (plus 6 inch) rocks. All foundation and retaining structures should be designed for appropriate hydrostatic and surcharge pressures such as adjacent footings, traffic, construction materials and equipment. The pressures recommended above assume drained conditions behind the walls and a horizontal backfill surface. The buildup of water behind a wall or an upward sloping backfill surface will increase the lateral pressure imposed on a foundation wall or retaining structure. An underdrain should be provided to prevent hydrostatic pressure buildup behind walls. H -P- KUMAR Project No. 17-7-567 _7_ Backfill should be placed in uniform lifts and compacted to at least 90% of the maximum standard Proctor density at a moisture content near optimum. Backfill placed in pavement and walkway areas should be compacted to at least 95% of the maximum standard Proctor density. Care should be taken not to overcompact the backfill or use large equipment near the wall, since this could cause excessive lateral pressure on the wall. Some settlement of deep foundation wall backfill should be expected, even if the material is placed correctly, and could result in distress to facilities constructed on the backfill. The lateral resistance of foundation or retaining wall footings will be a combination of the sliding resistance of the footing on the foundation materials and passive earth pressure against the side of the footing. Resistance to sliding at the bottoms of the footings can be calculated based on a coefficient of friction of 0.45. Passive pressure of compacted backfill against the sides of the footings can be calculated using an equivalent fluid unit weight of 375 pcf. The coefficient of friction and passive pressure values recommended above assume ultimate soil strength. Suitable factors of safety should be included in the design to limit the strain which will occur at the ultimate strength, particularly in the case of passive resistance. Fill placed against the sides of the footings to resist lateral loads can consist of the on-site soils (minus 6 inch size) compacted to at least 95% of the maximum standard Proctor density at a moisture content near optimum. FLOOR SLABS The natural on-site soils, exclusive of topsoil, are suitable to support lightly loaded slab -on -grade construction. To reduce the effects of some differential movement, floor slabs should be separated from all bearing walls and columns with expansion joints which allow unrestrained vertical movement. Floor slab control joints should be used to reduce damage due to shrinkage cracking. The requirements for joint spacing and slab reinforcement should be established by the designer based on experience and the intended slab use. A minimum 4 inch layer of free - draining gravel should be placed beneath basement level slabs to facilitate drainage. This material should consist of minus 2 inch aggregate with at least 50% retained on the No. 4 sieve and less than 2% passing the No. 200 sieve. H-Pk-KUMAR Project No, 17-7-567 -8_ All fill materials for support of floor slabs should be compacted to at least 95% of maximum standard Proctor density at a moisture content near optimum. Required fill can consist of the on- site granular soils devoid of topsoil and oversized (plus 6 inch) rocks. UNDERDRAIN SYSTEM Although free water was not encountered during our exploration, it has been our experience in the area and where clayey soils are present that local perched groundwater can develop during times of heavy precipitation or seasonal runoff. Frozen ground during spring runoff can also create a perched condition. We recommend below -grade construction, such as retaining walls and basement areas, be protected from wetting and hydrostatic pressure buildup by an underdrain system. The drains should consist of drainpipe placed in the bottom of the wall backfill surrounded above the invert level with free -draining granular material. The drain should be placed at each level of excavation and at least 1 foot below lowest adjacent finish grade and sloped at a minimum 1% to a suitable gravity outlet. Free -draining granular material used in the underdrain system should contain less than 2% passing the No. 200 sieve, less than 50% passing the No. 4 sieve and have a maximum size of 2 inches. The drain gravel backfill should be at least 11/ feet deep and be covered by filter fabric such as Mirafi 140N or 160N. SITE GRADING The risk of construction -induced slope instability at the site appears low provided the existing cut is retained as planned an additional fill placed on the downslope side of the existing site is limited also as planned. Final graded slopes up to about 8 feet high should be no steeper than 11 horizontal to 1 vertical. Final graded slopes taller than about 8 feet high should be no steeper than 2 horizontal to 1 vertical or retained to limit the exposed cut height to about 8 feet. Embankment fills should be compacted to at least 95% of the maximum standard Proctor density near optimum moisture content. Prior to fill placement, the subgrade should be carefully prepared by removing all vegetation and topsoil and compacting to at least 95% of the maximum standard Proctor density. The fill should be benched into the portions of the hillside exceeding 20% grade. H-PtKUMAR Project No. 17-7-567 9 SURFACE DRAINAGE Positive surface drainage is an important aspect of the project to divert surface water away from the residence and prevent wetting of the bearing soils. The following drainage precautions should be observed during construction and maintained at all times after the residence has been completed: 1) Inundation of the foundation excavations and underslab areas should be avoided during construction. 2) Exterior backfill should be adjusted to near optimum moisture and compacted to at least 95% of the maximum standard Proctor density in pavement and slab areas and to at least 90% of the maximum standard Proctor density in landscape areas. 3) The ground surface surrounding the exterior of the building should be sloped to drain away from the foundation in all directions. We recommend a minimum slope of 12 inches in the first 10 feet in unpaved areas and a minimum slope of 3 inches in the first 10 feet in paved areas. This will likely require a swale above the building. 4) Free -draining wall backfill should be capped with filter fabric and about 2 feet of the finer graded on-site finer graded soils to reduce surface water infiltration. 5) Roof downspouts and drains should discharge well beyond the limits of all backfill. 6) Landscaping which requires regular heavy irrigation should be located at least 5 feet from foundation walls. Consideration should be given to use of xeriscape to reduce the potential for wetting of soils below the building caused by irrigation. LIMITATIONS This study has been conducted in accordance with generally accepted geotechnical engineering principles and practices in this area at this time. We make no warranty either express or implied. The conclusions and recommendations submitted in this report are based upon the data obtained from the exploratory boring drilled at the location indicated on Figure 1, the proposed type of construction and our experience in the area. Our services do not include determining the presence, prevention or possibility of mold or other biological contaminants (MOBC) developing H -P —KUMAR Project No. 17-7-567 - 10 - in the future. If the client is concerned about MOBC, then a professional in this special field of practice should be consulted. Our findings include extrapolation of the subsurface conditions identified at the exploratory boring and variations in the subsurface conditions may not become evident until excavation is performed. If conditions encountered during construction appear different from those described in this report, we should be notified so that re-evaluation of the recommendations may be made. This report has been prepared for the exclusive use by our client for design purposes. We are not responsible for technical interpretations by others of our information. As the project evolves, we should provide continued consultation and field services during construction to review and monitor the implementation of our recommendations, and to verify that the recommendations have been appropriately interpreted. Significant design changes may require additional analysis or modifications to the recommendations presented herein. We recommend on-site observation of excavations and foundation bearing strata and testing of structural fill by a representative of the geotechnical engineer. Respectfully Submitted, H -P KUMAR Louis E. Eller, Staff Engineer Reviewed by: Cp. .6 aro* � f.1 -9c David A. Young, P.11. li,;1 32-216 r raNnq- DAY/ksw A1� if'kn oe...5tivpst�� 144* cc: Land + Shelter — .leleewp lbw (jeremy@landandshelter.com) H-PtKUMAR Project No. 17-7-567 - 11 - REFERENCES Lincoln DeVore, January 13, 1984, LDTL Job No. 50538 -GS. General and Engineering Geology, Cottonwood Hollow Subdivision, Garfield County, Colorado. H-P?:-_-KUMAR Project No. 17-7-567 EXISTING CUT SLOPE ' I 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 1 I 1 \ 1 11 1 1 PROPOSED RESIDENCY 5000 COUNTY RD 13 11\ \\\.\\ 30 0 30 60 APPROXIMATE SCALE—FEET 17-7-567 H -P- KUMAR 1-.. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 \\' LOCATION OF EXPLORATORY BORING Fig. 1 1- w x f- a 0 f--- 5 — 10 17-7-567 BORING 1 EL. 6648' %tr • a 41/12 • { WC=3.3 / +4=66 fir -200=13 38/12 iWC=11.6 4 -200=41 LEGEND ,-./4,. , BASALT GRAVEL AND COBBLES (GC); WITH BOULDERS IN A SANDY SILTY • CLAY MATRIX. DENSE, SLIGHTLY MOIST TO MOIST, REDDISH BROWN. 41/12 DRIVE SAMPLE, 1 3/8 -INCH I.D. SPLIT SPOON STANDARD PENETRATION TEST. DRIVE SAMPLE GLOW COUNT. INDICATES THAT 41 BLOWS OF A 140 -POUND IIAMMER FALLING 30 INCHES WERE REQUIRED TO DRIVE THE SAMPLER 12 INCHES, PRACTICAL AUGER REFUSAL. WHERE SHOWN ABOVE BOTTOM OF HOLE INDICATES MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS MADE ADVANCE THE BORING. NOTES 1. THE EXPLORATORY BORING WAS DRILLED ON JULY 24, 2017 WITH A 4 -INCH DIAMETER CONTINUOUS FLIGHT POWER AUGER, H -P- KUMAR 2. THE LOCATION OF THE EXPLORATORY BORING WAS MEASURED APPROXIMATELY BY PACING FROM FEATURES SHOWN ON THE SITE PLAN PROVIDED. 3. THE ELEVATION OF THE EXPLORATORY BORING WAS OBTAINED BY INTERPOLATION BETWEEN CONTOURS ON THE SITE PLAN PROVIDED. 4. THE EXPLORATORY BORING LOCATION AND ELEVATION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ACCURATE ONLY TO THE DEGREE IMPLIED BY THE METHOD USED, 5. THE LINES BETWEEN MATERIALS SHOWN ON THE EXPLORATORY BORING LOG REPRESENT THE APPROXIMATE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN MATERIAL TYPES AND THE TRANSITIONS MAY BE GRADUAL, 6. GROUNDWATER WAS NOT ENCOUNTERED IN THE BORING AT THE TIME OF DRILLING. 7. LABORATORY TEST RESULTS; WC = WATER CONTENT (%) (ASTM D 2216); +4 = PERCENTAGE RETAINED ON NO. 4 SIEVE (ASTM D 422); -200 = PERCENTAGE PASSING NO, 200 SIEVE (ASTM D 1140). LOG OF EXPLORATORY BORING Fig. 2 HYDROMETER ANALYSIS SIEVE ANALYSIS 100 24 0143 7 FIRS .1� 'LB TIME READINGS 49IN OS. .� _ 100 3YAt♦OA110 SEMIS . 4• 0 16 1. 4: CLEAR SOUARC OPENINGS s 0 �_- 11 90 �+r.reeM _10 e°.................1- 20 ...: 70 >✓11 so - � 4 MI— — -{1— t BG Mil MOM ��r 40 8 I 1 — Q 50 ! I } so r r I 1 FPI' 40 1 I { �1 I so 4 1 I so 1 1 i I I 0— 70 20 Mi { 1 BO e» 1• 10 0 I i 1 El rE1 —t-1 —3--ri C 1 1 —t—r— rrr�� 100 .001 .002 .009 .000 .019 .037 4473 DIAMETER .150 '.550 OF PARTICLES 1 .900 1. IN MILLIMETERS d 1 7.30 4.75 9.5 15 35.1 76.9 129 1n 250 CLAY TO SILT SAND GRAVEL MEDIUM 1COARSE FINE 1 COARSE COBBLESFINE GRAVEL 66 % SAND 21 % SILT AND CLAY 13 LIQUID LIMIT PLASTICITY INDEX SAMPLE OF: Clayey Silty Sandy Gravel FROM: Boring 1 ® 2.5' These test results apply only to the samples which wore tested. The testing report shall nol be reproduced, except 10 full, wilhoui the wrilien approval of Kumar & Associolee, Inc. Slave analysis testing Is performed in accordance wllh ASTM 0422, ASTM C136 and/or ASTM D1140. 17-7-567 FI -P- KUMAR GRADATION TEST RESULTS Fig. 3 -P�INMAR TABLE 1 SUMMARY OF LABORATORY TEST RESULTS Project No. 17-7-567 SAMPLE LOCATION NATURAL i NATURAL ' DRY DENSITY (pot) ' CRAOATiON L ATTERBERG LIMITS SOIL TYPE [BORING DEPTH (ft) MOISTURE CONTENT (%) • PERCENT 1 GRAVEL I SAND PASSING LIQUID I (%) (%) NO. 200 SIEVE LIMIT I (%) PLASTIC INDEX (%) UNCONFINED COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH (PSF) 1 21 3.3 66 21 13 Clayey Silty Sandy Gravel 5 11.8 41 Clayey Silty Sandy Gravel