Optimized design of shaft foundations for noise walls in the GTA

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This proposed research is to conduct an optimized design of drilled shaft foundations for noise barrier walls in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). As highways are being increasingly built through residential areas, the need and desire for noise abatement also increases. In most cases the only feasible measure is construction of a noise wall. The drilled shaft is the most popular foundation type for noise walls in the GTA. A great variation occurs in foundation design of noise walls due to the following reasons: 1) The glacial deposits covering the GTA are characterized by their highly variable material properties. Their evaluation and interpretation can easily lead to a conservative or unsafe design; 2). Analysis and design of shaft foundation is a complex soil-structure interaction problem. Though many theories exist, however, there is no specific method recommended in design guidelines; 3). The load capacity of drilled shafts is three-dimensional in nature. The design methods in practice simplify it into a two-dimensional problem, which leads to a substantial difference in the designs. This research is to address these issues by utilizing a large amount of design cases and performing a series of numerical simulations. Research findings will be extremely valuable to local geotechnical community and applicable for infrastructure development in Canada. This project will also help train highly qualified personnel for their career development in Canada.