Capacidade de Carga de Estacas Raiz Parcialmente Embutidas em Maciço Rochoso (Riolito)

Load Capacity of Partially Embedded Root Piles in Rock Mass (Rhyolite)

Abstract

Geotechnical investigation must be understood as the first foundation engineering activity to be developed in a project. In the case of the large projects developed in the Governador Eraldo Gueiros Port Industrial Complex/PE (SUAPE/PE Port Industrial Complex), many of them had to modify the original foundation design due to the diversity of soil types found in the area. In this location, expansive, collapsible and soft soils were found, as well as the presence of rocks. Regarding the rock mass of Petroquímica Suape, after geotechnical and geological studies, it was understood that it is basically composed of three (03) types of geomechanical materials. The first material consists of a rhyolite matrix, the second comprises an intermediate material between rhyolite and trachyte and the third material consists only of basalt. To build part of the petrochemical infrastructure, it was decided to develop a deep foundation project using a root pile partially embedded in the rock mass. Since this is a foundation engineering solution that is rarely used in construction (since deep foundations were developed to be used in soils with low bearing capacity and not in rocky materials) and because it involves geological and geotechnical conditions that are peculiar to the region, there was interest in analyzing the results obtained from estimating the load capacity of the root pile using empirical, semi-empirical and load test methods. After analyzing the results of the data obtained and calculated, it was found that some methods used in this work resulted in conservative values ​​and others did not provide reasonable estimates for the conditions obtained.