GEOTECHNICAL PROJECT AND FOUNDATIONS FOR THE EXTENSION AND ADAPTATION OF THE NURSING HOME “MADRE FORTUNATA TONIOLO” LOCATED IN VIA TOSCANA, 34 – BOLOGNA (BO)

CLIENT: Nursing home “Madre Fotunata Toniolo”
INTERVENTION LOCATION: Via Toscana, 34 Bologna (BO)
SERVICES RENDERED: executive project of the foundations of the extension of the nursing home “Madre Fotunata Toniolo”.
BEGINNING/END OF WORKS: 2012/2013

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

It has been designed the foundation system of the extension of the Nursing Home “Madre Fortunata Toniolo” to be realized in the Municipality of Bologna in via Toscana, 34.
The new wing of the hospital will be built in adherence to two bodies of the existing structure and will have a completely underground floor.
The bearing capacity of the piles has been evaluated in the hypothesis of isolated foundation piles: the plinths on piles that constitute the foundation of the superstructure exploit piles placed at a distance between centres such as to reduce the interferences between the elements making it permissible to neglect them.
The number of piles of each type of plinth is a function of the magnitude of stresses afferent to each peg: in order to limit and standardize in the highest possible rate the subsidence of the foundation system of the project works (functionality is certainly a design criterion of primary importance given the type of intervention) we tried to level the axial load to which the piles will be subject.

1. Geological characterization
Great importance must be attributed to the geological/geotechnical characterization of the site and, above all, the elaboration of a reliable and accurate geotechnical model are fundamental phases in a project situation such as the one that is the subject of this document and constitute the initial preparatory part.
The campaign of geotechnical investigations on site consisted of:

• 2 soundings with collection of 8 undisturbed or partially disturbed soil samples on which to conduct laboratory tests;
• 5 CPT static penetrometric tests;
• MASW geophysical survey;
• Laboratory tests:
  • Tests for the measurement of plasticity index
  • 3 edometric tests
  • 4 triaxial tests (2 TX CD – 2 TX CIU)
  • 2 unconfined compression tests
  • 2 direct shear tests

Examples of lab test analysis

2. Geotechnical Model
The geotechnical model must be able to best represent the mechanical properties of the soil depending on the type of verification being conducted from time to time and the calculation approach referred to.

3. Foundation geometry
A distribution of the static and seismic actions, which were provided by the designers of the elevated structures, between the piles present in each plinth was carried out.
Despite the fact that the topic of calculating the bearing capacity on piles is perhaps the most analyzed in the theoretical and applicative field, the design and verification of a single pile are not free from uncertainties, as evidenced by the continuous research on the subject and the many different approaches that exist.