Finnish National Road AdministrationCOMPETITION TO CALCULATE
SETTLEMENTS Competition program availability | Main Page COMPETITION PROGRAMSTAGE
1, March 3 to April 30, 1997; CONTENTS
1.2 Goal, background and purpose of competition 1.3 Timing of the competition and publication of results 1.4 Terms of participation 1.5 Prizes 1.6 Jury 1.7 Approval of the competition 1.8 Competition program availability 1.9 Competition language
2.2 Questions concerning the competition and bulletins from the jury 2.3 Judging of the competition and publication of results 2.4 Rights to the competition entries 2.5 Competition rules
3.2 Parts of the competition 3.3 Judgement criteria 3.4 Soil and laboratory investigations 3.5 Presentation of results
4.2 Anonymity of participants and publication of results 4.3 Deadlines for entries 1.1 Competition and competition organizer The competition for calculating embankment settlements is organized by the Finnish National Road Administration. The task is to calculate, as accurately as possible, the settlements of an embankment to be constructed on clay ground, the lateral displacements and the pore water pressure changes in the soil, as well as to present clear and justified calculations using a calculation method best suited for the purpose. 1.2 Goal, background and purpose of competition The goal of the competition is to improve the standard of geotechnical calculations, and to test the usability of new calculation methods in practice. Another goal is to improve the mode of presentation of calculations, to create unified guidelines as well as to encourage the use of methods suitable for the project. Reliable calculation of settlements is important for the overall economy of a road project as well as for traffic safety and smoothness of traffic flow. The accuracy of settlement calculations for embankments on weak soil still need to be improved, and their mode of presentation is diverse and generally very unpretentious. It is hoped that as large a group of engineers and experts as possible will participate in the competition and thereby develop their skills. 1.3 Timing of the competition and publication of results The competition will be carried out in two stages. Stage 1 will be completed March 3 to April 30, 1997, and it comprises Parts 1 and 2 of the competition. - Part 1 consists of determining who or which group most accurately calculates the settlements of the embankment using soil and laboratory investigations according to conventional practice as a basis. - Part 2 consists of determining who or which group presents the best calculations for part 1 (see point 3.3). Stage 2 will be completed May 2 to July 15, 1997, and it comprises Parts 3 and 4 of the competition. - Part 3 consists of determining who or which group most accurately calculates the settlements, lateral displacements and pore water pressure development of the embankment using broader than normal data on soil properties as a basis. - Part 4 consists of determining who or which group presents the best calculations for Part 3 (see point 3.3). Participation in the various stages of the competition is independent of each other. The test embankment will be constructed after Stage 2 in July and August, 1997. The results of the competition for Parts 2 and 4 will be published in October 1997, and for Parts 1 and 3 in October 1999 after the two-year follow-up data on the test embankment are available. 1.4 Terms of participation The competition is open to all private persons and groups thereof. Participation is prohibited for the members of the jury and persons assisting them. Part 2 is also open to foreign organizations approved by the jury. Only one entry per person or group is permissible. A member of a group taking part in the competition may not submit an entry as an individual. If the same person, in a group or individually, submits more than one entry, all entries are rejected. 1.5 Prizes The prizes for the competition total FIM 60 000. A sum of FIM 25 000 will be distributed in both Parts 1 and 3, and a sum of 5 000 in Parts 2 and 4. The first prize in Parts 1 and 3 is FIM 15 000, the second prize FIM 7 000 and the third FIM 5 000. In Parts 2 and 4, the entire prize sum is awarded to the best entry. The jury may, by unanimous decision, distribute the prize money in a different way. 1.6 Jury The jury comprises the following members: Appointed by the Finnish Road Administration: Matti-Pekka Rasilainen, Director, Road Administration Appointed by the Association of Finnish Civil Engineers: Seppo Viita, M Sc, OL-Consulting Oy Mr. Matti-Pekka Rasilainen will be the Chairman of the jury and Pentti Salo, M Sc, the secretary without a right to vote. The jury will call in any experts it deems necessary. 1.7 Approval of the competition The competition program has been approved by the organizer, the jury and the competition committee of the Association of Finnish Civil Engineers. 1.8 Competition program availability The competition program, the entry forms and test embankment plan and the soil and laboratory investigation material needed for Stage 1 of the competition is available as of March 3, 1997, from the Finnish National Road Administration Consulting/Geotechnical Services, P.O.Box 33, FIN-00521 Helsinki, fax +358 204 44 2154 and the Association of Finnish Civil Engineers, Meritullinkatu 16 A, FIN-00170 Helsinki. Materials for Stage 2 may be requested from the above locations as of May 2, 1997. The competition materials are free of charge. 1.9 Competition language Competition entries with accompanying materials for Stage 1 are to be submitted in Finnish or Swedish. The competition program and appendices for Stage 1 are available only in Finnish. Entries for Stage 2 may be submitted in English also. The most important parts of the material is available in English. A list of key terms will be provided for interpretation of the soil and laboratory investigations. 2.1 Program materials This competition program and the appended test embankment plan, soil investigations, laboratory investigations and the entry form comprise the program materials. 2.2 Questions concerning the competition and bulletins from the jury The contestants have the right to request additional clarification and information concerning the competition program. The requests must be submitted in writing to the jury. The envelope shall be marked "Settlement competition + number of stage in question" and addressed to Finnish National Road Administration/Consulting/Geotechnical Services/Kaarina Rautanen, P.O.Box 33, FIN-00521 Helsinki, or faxed to +358 204 44 2154. A separate envelope with the return address must be appended. The questions will be forwarded without the name and address information to the secretary of the jury. The questions concerning Stage 1 must be at hand no later than Tuesday March 18, 1997, and Stage 2 Tuesday, May 20, 1997. The questions concerning Stage 1 and the answers by the jury will be mailed to those having sent their name and address information to Geoservices/Kaarina Rautanen, no later than Friday, April 4, 1997, and concerning Stage 2 no later than Wednesday, June 4, 1997. The jury may if it wishes provide additional information during the competition. The additional information concerning Stage 1 will be mailed no later than April 4, 1997, and concerning the Stage 2 no later than June 4, 1997. The additional information is mailed to all who have left their name and address with Geoservices/Kaarina Rautanen at the time they requested the competition program, or asked for additional information or in some other way. 2.3 Judging of the competition and publication of results The competition will be judged in two stages. The results of the competition for Parts 2 and 4 will be published by the end of October 1997. By the end of October also the decision will be made as to which calculations have been done acceptably. The entries to Parts 1 and 3 by persons or groups whose calculations have been rejected will be disregarded. The final results for Parts 1 and 3 will be published by the end of October 1999. The results of the competition and the winners' names will be published at the jury’s discretion in the journal Rakennusinsinööri and will be made available to other mass media. Data concerning the development of the settlements of the test embankment and interim information concerning the competition will be published semi-annually as of October 1997 in Finnish professional journals and in the Internet on the Road Administration home page (http://www.tieh.fi). Interim information concerning the competition will be by pseudonym. Data emerging during the competition will be analyzed and published as a report. This report will be mailed to all contestants. 2.4 Rights to the competition entries With the submission of an entry, the contestant simultaneously accepts the rules set forth in this competition program. Through the competition, the Road Administration acquires the right to use the winning entries and calculations, and they become freely usable by all others. 2.5 Competition rules The competition primarily follows this competition program, and the competition rules of the Association of Finnish Civil Engineers (RIL 145 - 1981) in other matters. 3.1 Test embankment The test embankment will be constructed as part of the noise barrier of the earthworks in the SRRK project Vt 4 (E75) Järvenpää - Lahti (Haarajoki test embankment). The Uudenmaa road district of the Road Administration will construct the test embankment. The construction of the test embankment is part of the Road Administration's strategic project Road Structures Research Programme (TPPT). The embankment is 100 meters long and it will be constructed on clay ground in part without ground improvement and partly onto vertically drained area. The length of both parts is 50 meters. The remaining sections of the noise barrier in the immediate vicinity of the test embankment will not be constructed during the course of the competition. 3.2 Parts of the competition The competition comprises 4 parts, of which the first two will be carried out during the period March 3 - April 30, 1997, and the other two during May 2 - July 15, 1997. Part 1 of the competition is divided into five subtasks: - Subtask 1. Settlement at station number 35840 at the center line of the embankment (portion constructed without groundimprovement). Settlements are to be calculated for five time periods: 0 mo, 6 mo, 12 mo, 18 mo and 24 mo. The zero point for the time periods is when the embankment is completed. The settlement estimate for the first time period includes the calculation of settlement during the construction period. - Subtask 2. Settlement at station number 35880 at the center line of the embankment (portion constructed on vertically drained area). The task as at station number 35840. - Subtask 3. Deflection line in longitudinal direction. The shape of the settlement line between stations number 35810 and 35910 to the center line of the embankment is to be calculated and the result shall be reported at 10 meter intervals at the even stations number not including station number 35860. 24-month settlement is to be calculated. - Subtask 4. Deflection line in cross section at station number 35840 (portion constructed without groundimprovement). The settlement shall be calculated at the center line of the embankment as well as at points 9 meters to the left and right of the center line. 24-month settlement is to be calculated. - Subtask 5. Deflection line in cross section at station number 35880 (portion constructed on vertically drained area). The task as at station number 35840. The calculation points of the settlements are located at the margin between the embankment and the original soil surface. Part 2 of the competition comprises an evaluation of the mode of presentation of the calculations which have been drawn up and presented for Part 1 of the competition. The calculation method used will also be evaluated, as well as its suitability for the project and to a drawing up of long-term (10 and 30 yr) settlement estimation. Part 3 of the competition is made up of seven subtasks. The first five subtasks concern calculation of the same settlements and deflection lines as in Part 1 (subtasks 1 to 5). The other subtasks concern calculation of pore water pressure and lateral displacements: - Subtask 6. Pore water pressure profile at stations number 35840 and 35880. The calculation levels of pore water pressure are shown on the entry form. Pore water pressure is to be calculated at station number 35840 at five time periods: 0 mo, 6 mo, 12 mo, 18 mo and 24 mo and at station number 35880 at four time periods: 6 mo, 12 mo, 18 mo and 24 mo. - Subtask 7. Lateral displacements 4 and 9 meters to the right of stations number 35840 and 35880 at a total of four points. The lateral displacement is to be calculated at station number 35840 at five time periods: 0 mo, 6 mo, 12 mo, 18 mo and 24 mo and at station number 35880 at four time periods: 6 mo, 12 mo, 18 mo and 24 mo. The calculation points of the lateral displacements are located at the margin between the embankment and the original soil surface. Part 4 of the competition comprises an evaluation of the mode of presentation of the calculations which have been drawn up and presented for Part 3 of the competition. The calculation method used will also be evaluated, as well as its suitability for the project and to drawing up of long-term (10 and 30 yr) estimations of settlements, lateral displacements and pore water pressures. 3.3 Judgement criteria In Parts 1 and 3 of the competition, comparative points will be calculated for each competitor. The lower the comparative points, the better the result. The competitor with the lowest number of points is the winner in that entire competition part. In order to calculate comparative points, the difference between the calculated result and the measured result as a percentage is computed. As there are several results in each subtask, the average is taken of the difference percentage. The resulting average is the number of points. The comparative points for the contestants is determined as a weighted average of the subtasks. The weighting coefficients are shown on the entry form. The contestants must in addition to the results for Parts 1 and 3 also present the calculations and what they are based on. If the calculations are clearly deficient, the entry to the part in question (1 or 3) will be rejected. The jury may also for other reasons as well by a unanimous and justified decision reject an entry. If a presentation of the calculations is not included, the contestant is excluded from the part of the competition in question. In Part 2 of the competition, the best mode of presentation of the calculations and the calculation method best suited for the project are awarded the prize, taking into account the following points: - the consistency and clarity of the calculations - the suitability of the calculation method to the project and to the volume of the basic data as well as the simplicity of the method - the suitability of the method for long term (10 and 30 yr) estimation of settlements. Part 4 of the competition will be judged by the same criteria with special emphasis on the clarity and consistency of the mode of presentation. If the instrument used for measurements in the test embankment is broken or the results it gives may justifiably be considered incorrect, the jury may refrain from judging that part of the competition and decide, if needed, on changes to the basis of judgement. 3.4 Soil and laboratory investigations The soil investigations as well as the laboratory results and other material are appended to the competition program. The soil and laboratory investigations will be distributed in two sections (directions under point 1.8). The additional studies at Stage 2 consist of triaxial tests on clay, among others. 3.5 Presentation of results The results of settlements and lateral displacements are to be presented in millimeters (mm) and the pore water pressures in kilopascals (kPa). The unit weight of the test embankment material is not precisely known at the various stages of the competition. Therefore the calculations are to be made using three unit weights: g=20 kN/m3, g=21 kN/m3 and g=22 kN/m3. The calculations made using the average embankment volume weight that is closest to that which was measured at the time of construction will be used. The jury will decide on the volume weight on the basis of the quality control measurements. The presentation of the calculations is to be done using one unit weight only. 4.1 Required documents The competition entry must be submitted on the entry blank which is appended to the competition program as well as by presentations of the calculations. The mode of presentation for the calculations is free. The Road Administration hopes by the free mode of presentation to generate ideas for the development of their Geotechnical calculations guidelines (TIEL 21880002, Hki 1996). 4.2 Anonymity of participants and publication of results The names of the winners of the competition will be published. The results of competitors other than winners will be published under pseudonyms. Therefore each document in the competition entries must be submitted under a pseudonym. Each competition entry must include a sealed opaque envelope with the words "Name envelope" and the pseudonym on the outside and the name(s), address(es) and phone number(s) of the contestant(s) inside. All entries are confidential until July 16, 1997. The envelopes are opened only after this date. 4.3 Deadlines for entries Contestants are to submit the entry form as well as the required calculations for Stage 1 no later than 3 p.m., April 30, 1997, and for Stage 2 no later than 3 p.m., July 15, 1997, to Finnish National Road Administration Consulting/Geoservices Kaarina Rautanen, Opastinsilta 12 A, or the same day in the mail or other carrier (proven by a date and time stamp on the letter or parcel) addressed to Finnish National Road Administration, Consulting/Geoservices/Kaarina Rautanen, P.O.Box 33, 00521 Helsinki. The envelope is to be marked "Settlement competition + number of stage in question". |