Swedish Geotechnical Engineering

K. Rainer Massarsch

Geo Risk & Vibration

Scandinavia AB

Sweden

Sweden:Northern Europe

2000 km long10 million inhabitants

12 thousand years ago – Sweden was covered by 2000 m of ice.The rock has rebounded by heave of almost 500 m!!

Sweden has the highest land uplift in the world.

Areas below highest sea level – geotechnical

problems:Stability and settlements

Glacial Rivers createdEskers

Rebound of ground surface – 1 to 10 mm/year

Most of Sweden covered by till (moraine)

“Quick clay”

However, biggest problems in areas with soft clay

The Viking Period: 790 - 1100

Vikings built fortifications along sea shores and lakes

Landslide problems in soft clayDuring construction of railway

lines around 1905 - 1920

Recent landslides in Sweden

Famous slide at Stigbergsquay harbour in Gothenburg initiated first modern stability analysis

Swedish weight sounding around

1920

Wolmar Fellenius (1876 – 1957)

Albert Atterberg (1846 – 1916)

Alfred Nobel (1833 – 1896)

Report by Swedish “Geotechnical Commission”

Settlement problems in centre of Stockholm

Christopher Polhem (1661 – 1751)

Bror Fellenius(1903 – 1990)

Swedish Commission on Pile Research•Precast concrete piles•Static load testing•Dynamic load testing – stress waves•Negative skin friction

Piling Industry – precast concrete piles

Expander Body

Walter Kjellman(1905 – 1955)

Pre-fabricated Drains

Installation of plastic drains in Hong Kong

Drain sticher with protecting plate

Landslide problems – Tuve landslide in 1976

Lime-cement stabilization of soft clay

Monitoring of deep mixing by computerized system

Dry mixing of cement with clay....

Landslide at Vagnhärrad

Landslide in unstabilized area

Vibratory Compaction of Sandby „resonance metod“

Vibration sensor measures ground response

Underwater compaction in Hong Kong