Structural engineer Giuliana Zelada-Tumialan, an Associate Principal at SGH, and Director of the Boston Groundwater Trust, Christian Simonelli, explain challenges and solutions to the maintenance, monitoring, and repair of wooden pile foundation systems common to historic cities throughout the world. Boston neighborhoods containing some of the most historic and valuable real estate in the nation have served as a living laboratory to develop successful collaborative engineering, infrastructure, and policy approaches to solve structural engineering problems that threaten thousands of buildings.

This session will describe the history and nature of wood pile systems, the challenges (and causes) lowered groundwater levels bring to these foundation systems, and the development of remedial and preventive measures to avoid what were mysterious catastrophic building failures in the 1980s. Topics include monitoring, groundwater recharge, the impact of municipal utilities, and underpinning repairs.

Continuing Education Credits

1.5 LU/HSW/PDH

Learning Objectives

After attending this training course attendees will be able to:

1. Describe the history and purpose of wooden pilings.

2. Identify the possible causes of wood pile deterioration and its impact on structure performance.

3. Assess the available options for remediation of a specific structure such as underpinning.

4. Develop a strategy for more systematic preventative measures related to groundwater depression.