The constant development of geotechnical technologies imposes the necessity of monitoring techniques to provide a proper quality and the safe execution of geotechnical works. Several monitoring methods enable the preliminary design of work process and current control of hydrotechnical works (pile driving, sheet piling, ground improvement methods). Wave parameter measurements and/or continuous histogram recording of shocks and vibrations and its dynamic impact on engineering structures in the close vicinity of the building site enable the modification of the technology parameters, such as vibrator frequency or hammer drop height. Many examples of practical applications have already been published and provide a basis for the formulation of guidelines, for work on the following sites. In the current work the author’s experience gained during sheet piling works for the reconstruction of City Channel in Wrocław (Poland) was presented. The examples chosen describe ways of proceedings in the case of new and old residential buildings where the concrete or masonry walls were exposed to vibrations and in the case of the hydrotechnical structures (sluices, bridges).

A three dimensional probabilistic approach to analyzing laterally loaded piles is presented. Two typical subsurface models are used in the analyses: the first one consists of layered linear elastic soil where each layer has a random modulus of elasticity; while the second model takes the form of linear elastic soil with a random modulus of elasticity that increases with depth. Efficient step by step procedures for the reliability computation involving pile displacements are proposed. The solution is based on three-dimensional modeling by the finite element method. A series of results has been obtained for various values of elastic parameters of the soil. Next by a non-linear regression procedure a response surface is obtained. To get the final response surface allowing for a reliability analysis, an iterative algorithm based on the so-called design point concept is applied. The failure criterion is defined as the pile head displacement exceeding displacement threshold. The two cases of piles subjected to lateral load are computed. The paper illustrates the influence of the two distinct types of subsurface variability on the probabilistic analysis. A pronounced effect of the random variability of both the lateral force and the elastic modulus of the upper layer on reliability indices has been shown in results of numerical examples.

This paper presents an assessment of the condition of wood coming from a wharf timber sheet wall after 70 years of service in a (sea) water environment. Samples taken from the structure’s different zones, i.e., the zone impacted by waves and characterised by variable water-air conditions, the zone immersed in water and the zone embedded in the ground, were subjected to non-destructive or semi-destructive tests. Also, the basic parameters of the material, such as its density and moisture content, were determined. Moreover, the ultrasonic, stress wave and drilling resistance methods were used. Then, an X-ray microtomographic analysis was carried out. The results provided information about the structure of the material on the micro and macroscale, and the condition of the material was assessed on their basis. Also, correlations between the particular parameters were determined. Moreover, the methods themselves were evaluated with regard to their usefulness for the in situ testing of timber and to estimate, on this basis, the mechanical parameters needed for the static load analysis of the whole structure.

This article presents in situ research on the side surface of continuous flight auger (CFA) foundation piles using a three-dimensional (3D) laser scanner (Leica ScanStation C10) in order to evaluate the morphology assessment of pile concrete surfaces in various geotechnical layers. Terrestrial laser scanning describes the 3D geometry of the construction with high spatial resolution and accuracy. A total of six areas were selected from the acquired point cloud for which a two-step approach for removing the form was applied. In the first step, the reference surface was fitted using the least squares method, and then, cylindrical projection of the surface was performed. In the second step, an operator of removal of the multi-plane form was applied. For each sample, height parameters (Sq, Ssk, Sku, Sp, Sv, Sz, Sa) and functional volume parameters (Vmp, Vmc, Vvc, Vvv) according to the standard ISO 25178-2:2012 were determined. Significant differences in the values of surface height and functional volume parameters were observed for each geotechnical layer where piles were formed. Because the piles remain embedded in the ground, in situ tests of the side surface of piles are rarely performed and taken into account in the assessment of pile bearing capacity. The study of surface topography is a crucial stage in the assessment of the shear strength at the interface between a concrete pile and the soil layer. The obtained concrete morphology assessments are applicable during the determination of the skin friction factor in the analytical or numerical estimation of pile shaft resistance. The proposed procedure of morphology evaluation may improve the fidelity of the assumed friction factor between the concrete and soil and increase the reliability of direct shear experiments.

The Sustainable Development Goals were a remarkable advancement when adopted by the United Nations in 2015. For the first time, the world committed towards a wide spectrum of common goals ranging from climate action to sustainable cities from sustainable economic growth to inclusive industrialization. Sustainability is usually considered as “avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance”. In case of civil engineering, it means minimization of environment-related costs of ongoing project, also in terms of temporary deterioration of life quality in vicinity of building site due to noise and mechanical vibrations. Such impacts may constitute environmental load within much longer time-frame than exposure time to negative influences itself. Numerous impacts of construction work on environment, sometimes not covered by any standards, from mechanical damages to facilities and infrastructure, those which are easiest to identify, through negative influence to comfort and health of local residents, to offset the balance of nature (e.g. by chasing out birds during breeding season) are observed. The paper provides exemplary actions which may be undertaken by construction work contractors to reduce adverse dynamic impacts – mechanical vibrations, with regard to geotechnical work related to execution of deep excavation shoring. Conclusions of the paper are of general nature and, independently of rules specified by standards, they can provide guidance on good practices.