SOIL ENGINEERING:
TESTING, DESIGN,
AND REMEDIATION
Dr. Fu Hua Chen, P.E.
Honorary Member, ASCE, 1999
Edited by
M.D. Morris, P.E.
CRC Press
Boca Raton London New York Washington, D.C.
©2000 CRC Press LLC
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Chen, F.H. (Fu Hua)
Soil engineering: testing, design, and remediation / Fu Hua Chen.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8493-2294-4 (alk. paper)
1. Soil mechanics. 2. Engineering geology. 3. Foundations. 4. Soil remediation. I. Title.
TA710.C5185 1999
624.1’51—dc21
99-23653
CIP
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© 2000 by CRC Press LLC
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International Standard Book Number 0-8493-2294-4
Library of Congress Card Number 99-23653
Printed in the United States of America 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
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©2000 CRC Press LLC
Foreword
A true Renaissance man, Fu Hua Chen was educated in both China and the United
States. Returning to his homeland to contribute to its struggle against Japanese
attrition, he was chief engineer on the Burma Road. That artery held together the
victorious Allied campaign to end World War II on the Asian mainland.
After the Tibet Highway, the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and other large China projects,
Dr. Chen brought his family to the U.S. to build a better life. Successful in that, he
then devoted his remaining years to returning to his community, his society, and his
profession some of the benefits American life had provided for him.
Acknowledged as the world’s authority on expansive soils, Dr. Chen published
books on that and other aspects of geotechnical engineering, and a riveting autobi-
ography. He wanted the top rung of his career ladder to be his guide for constructors
and consultants to demystify soils and foundation engineering. It is a plain-talk effort
to help builders understand and deal with that complex facet so vital to construction.
With the publication of this book, Dr. Chen has achieved that goal, to top off a
monumental career that ended peacefully among his family in his 87th year.
M.D. Morris, P.E.
Advisory Editor
Chen, Fu Hua
21 July 1912 — 5 March 1999
Civil Engineer, Author, Educator, Humanitarian
©2000 CRC Press LLC
Introduction
When I was at the University of Michigan in 1935, I took a course on soils with
Professor Hogentogler. He had just completed a book entitled The Engineering
Properties of Soil. At that time, soil mechanics was not known. I talked to Dr.
Terzaghi at Vienna in 1938; he assured me that he had nothing to do with the term
“soil mechanics.” We all realized that the term “mechanics” is associated with
mathematics. By using the term “mechanics” with soil, the academicians firmly
linked engineering with mathematics. It appears that in order to understand soil, one
must understand “elasticity,” “diffusion theory,” “finite element” and other concepts.
After several years of dealing with foundation investigation, most consultants realize
that soil engineering is an art rather than a science as the academicians depicted.
In the last 40 years, no fewer than 50 books have been written on the subject
of soil mechanics. Most of them were written for use in teaching. Only a few touched
on practical applications. When engineers dealt with major complicated projects,
such as the failure of the Teton Dam or the Leaning Tower of Pisa, high technology
was required. However, 90% of the cases in which consulting engineers are involved
do not require mathematical treatment or computer analysis; they mostly need
experience. Consulting soil engineers are involved primarily with the design of
foundation for warehouses, schools, medium-rise buildings, and residential houses.
With such projects, the complete answers to soil engineering problems cannot be
resolved solely with textbook information.
The purpose of this book is to provide consulting engineers with the practical
meaning of the various aspects of soil mechanics; the use of unconfined compression
test data; the meaning of consolidation tests; the practical value of lateral pressure;
and other topics.
In addition to the technical aspect of foundation investigation, in the real world
one should be aware that the shadow of litigation hangs over the consultant’s head.
A careless statement may cost the consultant a great deal of time and money to
resolve the resulting legal involvement.
It is expected that the academicians may find many inconsistencies in this book.
However, at the same time, I expect that the book will find its way to the consulting
engineer’s desk.
©2000 CRC Press LLC
Acknowledgments
I wish to thank Professors Ralph Peck and George Sowers, geotechnical engineers
whom I greatly respect, for their encouragement in preparing this book. I have quoted
directly from their publications in many places.
I also wish to thank the American Consulting Engineers Council and the Asso-
ciation of Soil and Foundation Engineers for the benefit of using their publications.
The manuscript was edited and revised with many valuable suggestions from:
Paul Bartlett, Honorary Member, ASCE, Dean Emeritus, University of
Colorado at Denver;
Richard Hepworth, P.E., President, Pawlark and Hepworth, Consulting
Engineers;
M.D. Morris, P.E., F.ASCE, Ithaca, New York;
Dr. John Nelson, Professor, Colorado State University;
Malcolm L. Steinberg, P.E., F.ASCE, Steinberg & Associates, El Paso, Texas.
Dr. Jiang Lieu-Ching, University of Colorado at Denver, and Mr. Tom Jenkins,
writer, also helped with many details.
©2000 CRC Press LLC
To my wife Edna, with love and appreciation;
she took care of me during the preparation of this book while
I was suffering severely from emphysema.
©2000 CRC Press LLC
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Site Investigation
Chapter 2
Subsoil Exploration
Chapter 3
Field Tests
Chapter 4
Classification and Identification
Chapter 5
Laboratory Soil Tests
Chapter 6
Foundation Design
Chapter 7
Footings on Clay
Chapter 8
Footings on Sand
Chapter 9
Footings on Fill
Chapter 10
Pier Foundations
Chapter 11
Laterally Loaded Piers
Chapter 12
Driven Pile Foundations
©2000 CRC Press LLC
Chapter 13
Drainage
Chapter 14
Slope Stability
Chapter 15
Distress Investigations
Chapter 16
Construction
Chapter 17
Legal Aspects
Chapter 18
Report Writing
©2000 CRC Press LLC
