Conservation Geotechnics

Conservation geotechnics is about protecting above ground structures during subsurface engineering activities such as excavations, tunnels, dewatering, and blasting. Successful protection may require the strengthening of existing subsurface structures, as well as the buildings themselves. In all cases reliable risk assessment is critical. The importance of this topic is attested to by the large number of lawsuits and building injunctions that urban projects face, as well as the amount of money expended on instrumentation during subsurface works, especially in dense historic cities.

This practical engineering book brings together condition assessment considerations, typical damage scenarios, general approaches to consider and mitigate threats, and interventions suitable for older and generally at-risk structures. It addresses different materials and types of foundation, and outlines the issues to be faced when older buildings are put at risk by nearby construction or industrial processes. Traditional and modern solutions and analyses approaches are presented, along with novel building documentation and assessment techniques. These concepts are described in practical language and with respect to documented failures.