FINAL GEOTECHNICAL REPORT
FOR THE
PROPOSED 4-STOREY WITH ROOF DECK AND NO BASEMENT
RESIDENTIAL BUILDING
located at
60 Dagupan Street, San Francisco, Del Monte,
Quezon City
September 22, 2020
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 2
2.
OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF WORK .............................................................................................. 2
3.
THE PROJECT SITE ............................................................................................................................ 3
4.
FIELDWORK......................................................................................................................................... 4
4.1.
SWEDISH WEIGHT SOUNDING TEST (SWST) ..................................................................................... 6
4.2.
TEST PITS ........................................................................................................................................... 6
5.
LABORATORY TESTS ........................................................................................................................ 7
6.
RESULTS AND FINDINGS ................................................................................................................. 8
6.1.
SWST CONVERSION TO SPT N-VALUE .............................................................................................. 8
6.2.
TEST PITS ........................................................................................................................................... 9
6.3.
GROUNDWATER LEVEL .................................................................................................................... 10
7.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................. 10
7.1.
GENERAL FINDINGS ......................................................................................................................... 10
7.2.
BEARING CAPACITY AND FOUNDATION SCHEMES ........................................................................... 10
7.3.
SEISMICITY ...................................................................................................................................... 11
8.
LIMITATIONS .................................................................................................................................... 13
APPENDICES:
Appendix A – Laboratory Test Results
1
ADVANCED GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING SERVICES
Soil Investigation and Materials Testing Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
Pile Dynamic Testing Static Load Testing Cross-Hole (Ultrasonic) Testing
1. INTRODUCTION
This Final Geotechnical Report is prepared in accordance with the Contract
Agreement entered with Arch. Daisy D. Medestomas, herein referred to as the
Client, and Advanced Geotechnical Engineering Services (AGES); for the latter
to conduct the geotechnical investigation in connection with the proposed
construction of a 4-Storey Residential Building with Roof Deck and No Basement
in 60 Dagupan Street, San Francisco, Del Monte, Quezon City.
This Final Report contains the two boreholes and one test pit location plan, final
boring and test pit logs, laboratory test results, and photographs taken during the
actual fieldwork and the final evaluation and recommendations for the foundation
design of the proposed project.
2. OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF WORK
The main objective of the investigation is to assess the general subsurface
condition of the project site and to provide recommendations relevant to the
foundation design of the above-mentioned project.
The Client’s authorized Scope of Work calls for the drilling of two (2) boreholes
at a maximum target depth of 8.0 meters using the Swedish Weight Sounding Test
(SWST), one (1) test pit for bulk sampling, the conduct of the necessary
laboratory testing on recovered soil samples, and the submission of this final
geotechnical report.
The specifications, as set forth in the Contract, were adhered to in the conduct of
the investigation.
103 DUNHILL STREET, FAIRVIEW PARK SUBDIVISION, EAST FAIRVIEW, QUEZON CITY
Final Geotechnical Report for the Proposed 4-Storey Residential Building with Roof Deck and No 2
Tel.: (632) 8921-1322 Fax: (632) 8939-6368 [email protected] www.ages.ph
Basement, 60 Dagupan St., San Francisco, Del Monte, Quezon City
3. THE PROJECT SITE
The project site is located at 60 Dagupan Street, San Francisco, Del Monte,
Quezon City. The project area is rectangular in shape and, at the time of the
investigation, is flat and with an existing residential structure.
As per the Client, the existing structure will be demolished in the future to give
way to the proposed project plan. The general vicinity is surrounded by 2 to 3-
storey old wooden and concrete residential structures. The project location and
condition are shown in Figure 1 below.
Figure 1. Project site location and condition during site investigation
Final Geotechnical Report for the Proposed 4-Storey Residential Building with Roof Deck and No 3
Basement, 60 Dagupan St., San Francisco, Del Monte, Quezon City
4. FIELDWORK
Actual site work was conducted on September 15, 2020. The weather was partly
sunny and rainy. The locations of the two boreholes (BH) and test pit (TP) are
shown in Figure 2.
Due to the existing structure in the project site, the Client requested that the
borehole locations were to be conducted on the vacant portion of the lot, fronting
the main gate entrance. The vacant portion was covered with concrete and was
demolished by the Client to expose the natural ground surface. Photos during site
investigation are shown in Figure 3.
Figure 2. Borehole and test pit location plan
Final Geotechnical Report for the Proposed 4-Storey Residential Building with Roof Deck and No 4
Basement, 60 Dagupan St., San Francisco, Del Monte, Quezon City
(a) (b)
(c)
Figure 3. Photos of (a) test pit (TP-1), the actual drilling of borehole’s
(b) BH-1, and (c) BH-2 using the Swedish Weight Sounding Test (SWST)
Final Geotechnical Report for the Proposed 4-Storey Residential Building with Roof Deck and No 5
Basement, 60 Dagupan St., San Francisco, Del Monte, Quezon City
4.1. Swedish Weight Sounding Test (SWST)
The site investigation was conducted using the Swedish Weight Sounding
Test (SWST). The SWST complies with the provisions stipulated in the
National Structural Code of the Philippines (NSCP 2010, Table 303-2),
and follows the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) – A 1221.
The Swedish Weight Sounding Test (SWST) was popularized in Europe
and extensively used in Japan. The test is a type of in-situ static
penetration test used specifically for low-rise structures such as 1 to 3-
storey residential houses. It is an alternative to the conduct of the Standard
Penetration Test (SPT).
The SWST equipment consists of the following parts: screw, sets of 1m
sounding rod, a total of 100kgf (0.98kN) of dead weights, and a rotating
handle.
Soil resistance is measured by the number of half turns, Nsw. Nsw is
counted and documented every 0.25m interval. These values are then
converted to SPT N-values to utilize for bearing capacity analysis.
4.2. Test Pits
One test pit was conducted to obtain soil samples for laboratory testing in
order to determine the soil classification at the project site. The excavation
was accomplished by a manual digging procedure using a shovel, pick-
mattock, and pointed-bar.
Representative and adequate samples were obtained for each soil type for
classification and the necessary index tests such as the grain-size analysis,
Atterberg limits, and moisture contents.
Final Geotechnical Report for the Proposed 4-Storey Residential Building with Roof Deck and No 6
Basement, 60 Dagupan St., San Francisco, Del Monte, Quezon City
5. LABORATORY TESTS
Significant characteristics of the representative soil samples taken out from the
fieldwork were further investigated by laboratory tests. These soil characteristics
provide data used to classify and quantitatively assess the engineering properties
needed in the structure’s foundation.
In general, all testing procedures conform to the American Society for Testing
Materials (ASTM). The Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) was used in
the classification of the samples.
The following tests listed in Table 1 were conducted on disturbed samples.
Table 1. Laboratory tests conducted
ASTM DESIGNATION TITLE/ DESCRIPTION
1. D 2487-85 Classification of Soils for Engineering Purposes
2. D 422-72 Particle size Analysis of Soils
3. D 2216-80 Water (moisture) Content of Soil, Rock, and Soil-
Aggregate Mixtures
4. D 4318-84 Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit and
Plasticity Index of Soils
Final Geotechnical Report for the Proposed 4-Storey Residential Building with Roof Deck and No 7
Basement, 60 Dagupan St., San Francisco, Del Monte, Quezon City
6. RESULTS AND FINDINGS
6.1. SWST conversion to SPT N-value
The equivalent rotation for 1-meter penetration (Nsw) is computed by
multiplying Na to 4. To get the equivalent SPT-N value (N), we assume a
homogenous soil layer and use the following equations by M. Inada
(1960):
For sand,
N = 2 + 0.067Nsw [Eq. 1]
For cohesive soil,
N = 3 + 0.05Nsw [Eq. 2]
Refusal value is encountered when Na > 50 or when the screw point does
not sink even when driven by 10 blows of a 3.0kg sledgehammer.
Both boreholes terminated at 0.50m depth, reckoned from the natural
ground surface, due to the early refusal encountered. The boring logs are
shown in Table 2.
Final Geotechnical Report for the Proposed 4-Storey Residential Building with Roof Deck and No 8
Basement, 60 Dagupan St., San Francisco, Del Monte, Quezon City
Table 2. Field logs of BH-1 and BH-2
SWEDISH WEIGHT SOUNDING TEST
Project Name: 4-STY RESIDENTIAL
Date: September 15,
BLDG W/ ROOF DECK AND W/O
2020
BASEMENT
Location: Del Monte,
Quezon City BH: 1 Recorded by: CLM. HO
No. Equivalent
Weight of Total Penetration Rotation Equivalent
(WSW) Half- Depth Depth for 1-m SPT-N
Turns Penetration Value
kgf Na D (m) L (cm) Nsw = 4*Na SPT-N
100 4 0.25 25 4 3
100 50 0.50 25 24 15
SWEDISH WEIGHT SOUNDING TEST
Project Name: 4-STY RESIDENTIAL
Date: September 15,
BLDG W/ ROOF DECK AND W/O
2020
BASEMENT
Location: Del Monte,
Quezon City BH: 2 Recorded by: CLM. HO
No. Equivalent
Weight of Total Penetration Rotation Equivalent
(WSW) Half- Depth Depth for 1-m SPT-N
Turns Penetration Value
kgf Na D (m) L (cm) Nsw = 4*Na SPT-N
100 0 0.25 25 4 3
100 50 0.50 25 24 15
6.2. Test Pits
A 0.50m test pit was excavated at the site. Disturbed and representative
soil samples obtained from the split-spoon samplers were visually
classified and then carefully sealed in properly labeled watertight plastic
bags. These were brought to AGES Laboratory in Quezon City for testing.
The laboratory results of the samples are compiled and shown in the
Appendix.
Final Geotechnical Report for the Proposed 4-Storey Residential Building with Roof Deck and No 9
Basement, 60 Dagupan St., San Francisco, Del Monte, Quezon City
The laboratory results showed that the soil layer encountered in TP-1 in
the upper 0.20m layer is idealized as gray, gravel-sized Sandstone (GP-
GM) fragments. The next 0.20m thick layer is described as brown, sandy
Clay (CL), slightly plastic, with a little amount of fine. The plasticity index
is 15%, indicating a low expansion potential.
6.3. Groundwater Level
During the excavation of the test pit, the weather was rainy, resulting in
water coming in the test pit. Natural groundwater was not evident during
excavation.
7. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
7.1. General Findings
Based on the data taken from the two boreholes and test pits, the project
site at BH-1 has an SPT N-value of 15 at 0.50m depth measured from the
existing ground surface. At 0.5m depth, the soil classification is slightly
plastic, sandy clay (CL).
Based on the site condition and the general requirements of the proposed
4-storey residential building with roof deck and no basement, the use of a
shallow foundation scheme appears to be the most practical and
economical foundation solution.
7.2. Bearing Capacity and Foundation Schemes
The use of spread footings, combined footings, or partial mat foundation
may be adopted in supporting the proposed structure. Cantilever footings
with tie beams may also be used in cases where the footing is beside the
property line.
Due to the known existence of buried structure or underground utilities
(i.e., sewer line) found in the project area, excavation for footings will
Final Geotechnical Report for the Proposed 4-Storey Residential Building with Roof Deck and No 10
Basement, 60 Dagupan St., San Francisco, Del Monte, Quezon City
have to bypass these said manmade structures. It is estimated that the
footings should rest at about 1.5m below the ground surface.
For the above conditions, the estimated net allowable bearing capacity of
the shallow foundation for the project area may be conservatively assumed
at 150kPa (3,100 psf). The above-recommended bearing capacity may be
increased by 1/3 if earthquake / transient loads are analyzed.
Since existing structures surround the perimeter of the project site,
excavation beside existing footings should be limited to the depths of the
existing footings, in order not to undermine the stability of the said
footings.
7.3. Seismicity
The closest known active fault system near the project area is the Valley
Fault System. The Valley Fault System (VFS) consists of two sub-parallel
faults, namely the West Valley Fault (WVF), which lies between Marikina
Valley and the Central Plateau (Quezon City and Makati), and the East
Valley Fault (EVF), which lies between Marikina Valley and the
mountains of Antipolo.
The WVF is the one that may have the most significant impact on the
project. In the event of a major earthquake, the fault is known to be
capable of releasing a Richter magnitude scale of 7. The approximate
distance of the project site from the WVF surface trace is about 7.2 km
(Figure 4).
Final Geotechnical Report for the Proposed 4-Storey Residential Building with Roof Deck and No 11
Basement, 60 Dagupan St., San Francisco, Del Monte, Quezon City
Figure 4. Approximate distance of project site from WVF
(Source: http://faultfinder.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/)
As a guide, based on the seismic provisions of the National Structural
Code of the Philippines (NSCP 2015, 7th Edition) seismic zone factor, Z is
0.4 for the project area, and the prevailing soil type of the foundation
generally falls under a stiff soil profile, Type SD.
The seismic source type is Type A, as the maximum moment magnitude is
assumed to be equal to or greater than 7. Based on the fact that the closest
distance to a known seismic source from the project site is 7.2 km, the
near-source factors Na & Nv are presumed to be 1.2 and 1.6.
Final Geotechnical Report for the Proposed 4-Storey Residential Building with Roof Deck and No 12
Basement, 60 Dagupan St., San Francisco, Del Monte, Quezon City
8. LIMITATIONS
This geotechnical report was prepared to aid in the design of this specific project.
The scope of this report is limited to the project and location described herein and
represents our understanding of the surface and subsurface conditions at the site,
at the time of the investigation. Variation may occur between the conducted
borehole and test pit locations. Hence, an observant engineer who regularly
inspects the site is advised to take note of any variation.
Should there be appreciable differences found in the soil conditions during the
construction phase, or should there be any differences in our understanding of the
project requirements, we should be immediately notified so that supplemental
recommendations can be provided.
SUNSHINE V. TAN
Geotechnical and Environmental Engineer, PhD
PRC (CE-118379)
September 22, 2020
Final Geotechnical Report for the Proposed 4-Storey Residential Building with Roof Deck and No 13
Basement, 60 Dagupan St., San Francisco, Del Monte, Quezon City
