Settlement Analysis

Soils consolidate under the application of loads from buildings. The critical tolerances for total and differential settlement of large warehouse floor areas require detailed analysis and often involve innovative geotechnical engineering solutions, such as settlement reducing piles to minimise or control the long-term floor movement.

Over the last thirty years RSA Geotechnics have carried out a number of site investigations involving complex settlement analysis and calculations and have provided advice and recommendations to our clients for a diverse range of ground conditions.

Our settlement analysis experience includes:

• assessment of magnitude of settlement
• quantifying differential and total settlement
• large floors, embankments, dockland extensions
• foundations including pile groups
• analysis of the effect of piles above deep tunnels
• heave of basements
• directional drilling and tunnelling induced ground movements

One of the common problems that we encounter is directional drilling or tunnelling operations which can cause ground movements that may affect existing surrounding buildings or structures including nearby roads or railways. In these circumstances we recommend that a suitable ground investigation is specified in order to predict these soil movements before the construction phase of the project commences.