Jack-Assisted Leveling Process of an Actual 17-Story Building

Abstract

Foundation problems during building construction may cause important structural and nonstructural damage, and compromise the building serviceability. This paper presents a case study of a jackassisted leveling process implemented on a 17-story reinforced concrete building that suffered important differential settlements during its construction. It is the first time a leveling solution for just a group of piles is implemented, since previous studies considered intervening all foundation piles. The procedure consists on cutting a small slice of the piles in the unsettled side of the building, equivalent to the necessary descent for leveling the settlements in the opposite end, and lowering the unsettled part by a controlled maneuver with hydraulic jacks. Prior to its execution, a numerical model was developed for predicting the effectiveness of the descent maneuver indicating that the leveling process would correct the tilt of the building. The solution was successfully implemented and the building is now in service.