Geotechnical Aspects of the Ohio River Bridges Project Mark A. Litkenhus, PE Sr. Geotechnical Engineer Stephen H. Bickel, PE Sr. Geotechnical Engineer STGEC Ohio River Bridges at Louisville Geotechnical Aspects 1 of 29
Agenda 1 Site Location 2 Geology 3 Ohio River Drainage 4 Downtown Bridge and Interchange I-265 Bridge I-265 Roadway and Tunnel I-65 Bridge I-65 Roadway 2 of 29
Site Location 3 of 29
Site Location 4 of 29
Site Location 8 of 29
Site Location Downtown Bridge Fort Louisville 9 of 29
Site Location Louisville is at this location due to the Falls. Only place rock exposed in river s bed. An ancient coral reef. Not a waterfall, a series of rapids. River drops 26 feet in 2 miles. Obstruction to river navigation. 10 of 29
Geology Column (Not to Scale) shows geologic formations in Jefferson County & Southern Indiana. Sedimentary rock formed from about to 340 million years ago. Louisville & Southern Indiana was in a shallow tropical sea, below the equator. Old geologic formations had a major impact on site physiography and geotechnical conditions. More recent occurrences have influenced site conditions: Structural Folding and Ice Age. Bridge Projects and Tunnel are located in these Formations 11 of 29
Geology Cincinnati Arch Jessamine Dome Illinois Coal Basin Appalachian Coal Basin 13 of 29
Geology Cross-section depicts rock folding. Drainage Divides near Madison IN & Manchester OH Erosion caused oldest rock exposed along Cincinnati Arch & younger rock exposed away from Arch. Bridge Projects Silurian Formations more erosion-resistant. North-South Trending Drainage Divides formed along Silurian escarpments. Cincinnati Arch 14 of 29
Ohio River Drainage Map shows Ohio River Drainage Basin. Begins at Pittsburgh & flows to the Mississippi River (981 miles long). Drainage comes from 15 states and almost 200,000 sq. miles Bridge projects are in Glaciated Lower Ohio Valley. Almost a mile wide at McAlpine Dam in Louisville. It wasn t always this way. 17 of 29
Ohio River Drainage Map shows preglacial drainage patterns. Drained by ancient Teays Mahomet River system. Divides at Madison IN & Manchester OH directed rivers to north. Ohio River began about 50 miles upstream from Louisville. 18 of 29
Ohio River Drainage Map shows glacial limits. Ice blocked north flowing rivers. Ponded water overtopped divides. Torrents carved steep valleys and established Ohio River. The river bed was down cut to rock, 250 feet at Louisville. Wider valley developed at Louisville due to weaker shales. 19 of 29
Ohio River Drainage Wide valley at Louisville filled with glacial outwash (sand gravel, boulders). After it filled, the river meandered northwest. It eventually encountered the old coral reef and was forced to stop its movement. The Falls formed, and later, Col George Rogers Clark arrived to found Louisville. 20 of 29
Interstate 265 Bridge over Ohio River 700 Tower 3 Tower 4 700 650 600 Kentucky Indiana 650 600 550 500 Pier 2 Roadway (Bridge) Grade Pier 5 550 500 Boring AC-1 Ohio River River Bottom Top of Rock Outwash Deposits 300 Limestone (Interbedded with Shale) 300 190+00 195+00 200+00 205+00 210+00 21 of 29
Interstate 265 Bridge - Boring Log AC-1 Hole No. Station Offset Elev. 440 430 D 95 D 50 D w% LI 0.080 0.009 3140 19 0.00 AC-1 187+18.6 44.6 Lt. 434.1 A-7-6(29), CL, S+C=94(67+27) 440 430 420 0.026 0.017 1160 23 0.40 A-6(14), CL, S+C=80(55+25) 420 410 390 380 370 360 340 330 320 310 300 290 280 0.32 0.050 19 1.0 3.0 0.75 9.5 0.80 25 0.90 2.5 0.85 9.5 0.98 DS U.C STDRQD KYRQD REC (psi) (tsf) 0 0 87 93 70 60 97 246.9 625 178.0 296 57 45 100 92 81 100 84 70 100 82 72 100 Top of rock elev. = 333.8 Base of weathered rock elev. = 333.2 N=2, A-4(1), CL-ML, S+C=59(44+15) N=5 N=11 A-1-b(0), SM, S+C=13(9+4) N=31 N=9 N=2 N=16, S+C=13 N=21 N=18 A-1-b(0), SM, S+C=10(8+2) N=26 N=20, S+C=8 N=24 N=24 N=25 A-1-b(1), SW, S+C=5(4+1) N=26 N=22 S+C=4 N=R/0.3 SDI Limestone (60%) interbedded with Shale (40%) 78 Limestone is gray, fine grained, thin bedded, argillaceous. Shale is gray, silty, argillaceous. 76 Near vertical fracture zone from 331.3 to 330.7. Near vertical fracture zone from 328.6 to 328.3. Near vertical fracture zone from 327.5 to 327.0. 96 Clay filled near vertical fracture zone from 325.5 to 325.3. Near vertical fracture zone from 324.7 to 324.3. Clay filled near vertical fracture zone from 323.1 to 322.8. Clay seam from 316.1 to 316.0. Clay seam from 308.7 to 308.6. Clay seam from 307.8 to 307.7. Clay seam from 296.6 to 296.0. 22 of 29 410 390 380 370 360 340 330 320 310 300 290 280
Interstate 265 Roadway Profile Sta. 100 to Sta. 140+00 650 650 600 Sta. 106+00 60 Rt. 600 550 500 Top of Rock Shale Limestone Pre-Construction Groundline Harrods Creek Bridge 550 500 Dolomite Shale Sediment / Soil 100+00 110+00 120+00 130+00 140+00 23 of 29
Interstate 265 Roadway - Boring Log Sta. 106+00, 60 Rt. 580 KYRQD REC 580 560 540 520 500 480 100 100 75 80 100 100 92 99 99 100 100 100 52 100 65 99 90 100 100 100 100 100 Limestone, gray, micro- to finely crystalline grained, medium to thick bedded, zones nodular/irregular bedded to 533.5, fossiliferous, argillaceous zones, with shaly stringers and partings Shaded area represents tunnel as it descends towards Harrods Creek. SDI (JS) 78 (4) Shale, gray, calcareous Limestone (Dolomite), gray, fine grained, thin to thick bedded, dolomitic 560 540 520 500 480 460 440 420 100 100 100 100 74 100 91 100 100 100 RDZ = 8.7 Shale, gray, calcareous Limestone, gray, fine grained, medium to thick bedded, dolomitic Shale, red to gray, clay-like Limestone, gray, fine grained, medium to thick bedded, zones dolomitic, zone shaly, with shale streaks and partings 24 of 29 460 440 420
Interstate 65 Bridge over Ohio River 700 650 600 550 Kentucky Tower 3R Tower 4R Tower 5R Indiana 700 650 600 550 500 300 250 250 Pier 2R Boring B-800 Shale Sediment / Soil? Ohio River - Normal Pool Top of Rock Limestone Pier 6R 500 300 250 250 225+00 230+00 235+00 240+00 245+00 250+00 25 of 29
Interstate 65 Bridge - Boring Log B-800 Hole No. Station Offset Elev. 440 430 420 410 390 380 370 360 340 330 320 310 300 290 280 U.C. (tsf) 782 547 1898 03/28/13 w% LI 23 6 14 12 12 34 6.00 STDRQD KYRQD REC 52 52 98 26 26 100 35 35 94 26 26 97 100 100 100 B-800 225+90.06 47.5 Lt. 445.0 Top of rock elev. = 328.8 Base of weathered rock elev. = 328.8 N=16 N=53 A-2(0), SM, S+C=30 N=50+ N=9 N=2 N=3 N=4 A-4(0), ML, S+C=65 N=5 N=7 N=6 A-4(5), CL, S+C=90 N=6 N=39 N=11 A-1-b(0), SW-SM, S+C=10 N=17 N=25 N=25 N=33 N=38 A-1-b(0), SP-SM, S+C=7 N=58 N=32 N=24 N=36 A-3(0), SP-SM, S+C=9 N=37 N=50+ Limestone, gray, fine to coarse grained, thin to medium bedded, black shale stringers Shale, dark gray, weathered Limestone, gray, fine to medium grained, medium to thick bedded, calcite lenses, black shale stringers 26 of 29 440 430 420 410 390 380 370 360 340 330 320 310 300 290 280
Interstate 65 Roadway Profile 550 500 300 250 END OF I-65 BRIDGE (APPROX.) Top of Rock Groundline Outwash Deposits Limestone Boring 2B-99 Boring 2B-106 Boring 2B-124 BEARGRASS CREEK 550 500 300 250 200 200 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 DISTANCE FROM I-65 BRIDGE (FEET) 27of 29
Interstate 65 Roadway - Boring Logs 2B-99 and 2B-106 480 470 Qu (psf) w% LI 3140 19-5.00 6 6 2920 20 0.06 2B-106 425+70 46 Rt. 480.6 A-1-b(0), SM, S+C=24(19+5) N=11 A-1-b(0), SM, N=6 S+C=18(13+5) A-6(8), CL, S+C=62(39+23) 490 480 470 460 2B-99 428+68 58 Lt. 451.5 23 0.28 5180 18-0.07 17 0.14 A-6(16), CL, S+C=91(59+32) A-6(9), CL, S+C=73(50+23) A-6(5), CL, S+C=58(38+20) 460 22 0.29 A-6(16), CL, S+C=94(57+37) 3180 21 0.18 A-6(10), CL, S+C=98(78+20) 440 430 U.C. (tsf) STDRQD KYRQD REC 11 11 18 Limestone, gray, microcrystalline to fine grained, thin bedded, with shaly zones and thin shale partings Weathered and water stained at 430.0 and at 429.6 VOID, from 429.5 to 425.0 1720 21 0.13 20 0.19 6 NP 23 A-6(14), CL, S+C=92(58+34) A-6(10), CL, S+C=73(51+22) A-1-b(0), SM, S+C=19(16+3) N=11, S+C=68 440 430 420 92 92 99 STDRQD KYRQD REC 66 66 84 420 410 817 94 94 100 80 80 100 Limestone, light gray, microcrystalline to fine grained, thin to thick bedded, with shaly zones and thin shale partings 90 90 98 70 70 100 Limestone, gray, microcrystalline to fine grained, thick bedded, with thin shale partings Voids from 418.6 to 418.3, from 417.7 to 417.3, and from 413.8 to 413.6 410 Top of rock elev. = 431.5 Base of weathered rock elev. = 425.0 57 57 100 390 28 of 29 Top of rock elev. = 421.3 Base of weathered rock elev. = 421.3 390
Interstate 65 Roadway - Boring Log 2B-124 460 Qu (psf) w% LI 540 15 NP 18 NP 33 NP 2B-124 422+49 103 Lt. 459.6 A-4(0), ML, S+C=57(44+13) N=4 A-1-b(0), SM, N=5 S+C=13(10+3) 460 440 430 420 05/10/06 16 14 NP 8 NP 6 NP 4 NP 14 N=6, S+C=44 N=8 N=11 N=30 N=39 N=20, S+C=6 A-2-4(0), SP-SM, S+C=12(10+2) A-1-b(1), SW-SM, S+C=9(8+1) 440 430 420 410 NP NP N=9 N=14 A-3(1), SP, S+C=4(5+0) 410 390 380 20 10 NP NP NP NP N=34, S+C=9 N=17 N=23 N=21 N=19 N=30, S+C=6 A-3(1), SP-SM, S+C=7(6+1) A-1-a(1), SW-SM, S+C=8(6+2) 390 380 370 NP NP N=14 N=14 A-1-a(1), SW, S+C=3(2+1) 370 360 R (364.6) 29 of 29 360