Geomechanical characteristics of controlled backfill soil for foundations, Pucallpa, Peru

Abstract

The population growth in the city of Pucallpa, forces more and more projects to be executed on complicated soils, which in the past were rejected because of their bad characteristics, therefore, foundations on uncontrolled fills present very serious problems due to the heterogeneity of these materials, producing damages and reducing the life time of these buildings. The objective of this experimental investigation was to diagnose, by means of laboratory tests, the mechanical characteristics of controlled fill soils for foundations. The methods used were documentary analysis, laboratory studies and statistical processing using the Microsoft Excel program; the procedures performed for each soil test were guided and indicated by the manual of materials testing. The results for the controlled fill soil were: i) granulometry yielded a SUCS classification "SC (clayey sand)", AAHSTO classification "A-7-6 (clayey soils)" ii) compaction yielded a CBR at 100 % of the MDS of 14.00 % at 0.1" iii) shear strength yielded a friction angle at 25.01° and a cohesion of 0.00 kg cm -2 . The above indicates that the geomechanical characteristics of the controlled fill soil, the subgrade of the terrain according to the MTC is a good material for foundations in the city of Pucallpa, since it is a material with better physical and mechanical properties.