REVIEWED RESUB1 BLD2021-1101+GEO report+9.7.2021_10.55.24_AM+2394999RESUB
BLD2021-1101 Sep 07 2021
CITY OF EDMONDS
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
DEPARTMENT
COBALT Cobalt Geosciences, LLC
GE0SCIENCES P.O. Box82243
Kenmore, Washington 98028
August 11, 2021
RR Foundation Specialist
Attn: Mr. Cory Myron
cory(&rrspecialist.net
RE: Limited Geotechnical Evaluation
Foundation Mitigation
178o8 73rd Place West
Edmonds, Washington
In accordance with your authorization, Cobalt Geosciences, LLC has prepared this letter to
discuss the results of our limited geotechnical evaluation at the above -referenced location.
Site and Project Description
The site is located at 178o8 73rd Place West in Edmonds, Washington. The site consists of one
irregularly shaped parcel (No. 00473700000900) with a total area of about 0.39 acres.
The south central portion of the site is developed with a residence and driveway. The remainder
of the property is vegetated with grasses, bushes, and sparse trees.
The site slopes downward from east to west at low magnitudes with minimal relief. There are
local short slopes up to 50 percent in magnitude near the east and west margins of the site,
indicating that the property has been previously graded.
The site is bordered to the east and west by residential properties, and to the south by 73=d Place
West, and to the north by undeveloped land.
We understand that portions of the residence have settled about 4 inches over time, likely
beginning after construction and potentially continuing today. The most significant settlement is
in the southwestern portion of the residence.
The project includes installation of at least 11 helical anchors. Anchors will be attached with steel
brackets and angle iron if necessary. Anchors are anticipated to be driven to refusal below
foundation elements. Lifting may be performed as allowed by the structure. Polylift foam will be
used below local slab areas.
Area Geology
The site lies within the Puget Lowland. The lowland is part of a regional north -south trending
trough that extends from southwestern British Columbia to near Eugene, Oregon. North of
Olympia, Washington, this lowland is glacially carved, with a depositional and erosional history
including at least four separate glacial advances/retreats. The Puget Lowland is bounded to the
west by the Olympic Mountains and to the east by the Cascade Range. The lowland is filled with
glacial and non -glacial sediments consisting of interbedded gravel, sand, silt, till, and peat lenses.
The Geologic Map of the Edmonds East and West Quadrangles, indicates that the site is underlain
by Vashon Glacial Till.
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August 11, 2021
Page 2 of 4
Limited Geotechnical Evaluation
The till consists of a nonsorted mixture of silt, sand, clay, gravel, and cobbles. These deposits
typically become dense within the upper 15 feet, below a weathered zone.
Soil & Groundwater Conditions
As part of our evaluation, we excavated one hand boring to 6 feet below grade. The hand boring
encountered approximately 6 inches of topsoil and vegetation underlain by approximately 3.5 feet
of loose, silty -fine to medium grained sand trace to some gravel (Weathered Glacial Till). This
layer was underlain by medium dense to dense, silty -fine to medium grained sand with gravel
(Glacial Till) which continued to the termination depth of the hand boring. Groundwater was not
encountered in the hand boring.
Conclusions and Recommendation
Based on our observations, it appears likely that the settlement is likely the result of insufficient
removal of loose weathered soils prior to foundation placement. There may be areas of fill below
some foundation elements, that could contribute to the settlement.
The proposed mitigation utilizing helical anchors with steel connections appears suitable to
reduce settlement and support the affected portions of the residence. Based on our observations,
we anticipate that helical anchors and piers may extend 7 to 15 feet below grade with an average
depth of 10 feet.
Helical Piers@
Helical Piers® may be used to support the residence. The Helical Piers® could be installed using
portable rotary tools, truck mounted rotary tools, backhoe mounted rotary tools, caisson drills, or
skid -steer loaders. It is important that the torque output, rotational speed, down pressure
capability, and angle control of the installation equipment is compatible with the required
foundation system. The pile installation equipment should have adequate torque capacity to
prevent refusal conditions at relatively shallower depths that are well above recommended
bearing depths or layers.
A Helical Pier® consists of an anchor (lead section) with 1, 2, 3 or more helical flights on a shaft.
The number and diameter of the helices on the anchor are dependent on the soil characteristics of
the site and the design loads to be applied to the pier. Based on these parameters the anchor helix
configuration is chosen to best fit the site conditions.
As the anchor is advanced into the soil extension sections (shaft) are placed on the lead section.
The shaft configuration is based on the design loads and anticipated installation torque.
The static compression load capacity of a Helical Pier@ is the sum of all individual helix
capacities below liquefiable soils and in bearing layer. Individual helix static compression
capacity is the result of the projected area of the helix, and its bearing pressure.
It is recommended that the piers penetrate into relatively dense native soils a minimum of 5 feet,
or until refusal whichever is shallower. The bearing layer will be at variable depths below the
existing ground surface due to previously natural slope conditions (anticipated to be 7 to 15 feet).
Increased capacity can be obtained with increased penetration, and additional helical flights on
the lead section.
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August 11, 2021
Page 3 of 4
Limited Geotechnical Evaluation
Helical Pier® installation should be monitored to verify installation torque, and proper
embedment into the presumed bearing layer. The Helical Pier® lengths may need to be modified
during construction if it is determined that the depth to the bearing layer varies. Helical Pier®
anchors are well suited to field adjustments as length can be varied by merely adding or deleting
extension sections (shafts) during installation.
Monitoring installation torque in the field is used to estimate the anchor compression capacity,
and also as a quality control during anchor installation, provided that the anchor is bearing in
dense or hard soils. Dependent on the pile size and the equipment used to install the anchors, an
empirical factor is multiplied by the average torque over the final 3 feet of installation to estimate
ultimate capacity.
Allowable Helical Pier Compression Capacity Pa may be estimated from the following equation
provided that the pier is in the recommended bearing soils:
Pa = Kt x T/FoS,
Where T is the applied torque, Kt is the empirical ratio factor. The following industry standards
apply to shafts with blades spaced along the shaft at 2.5 to 3.5 times the average blade diameter
on -center and meeting the manufacturer's specifications.
1.5" and 1.75" Square Shafts - Kt = 9 ft-1
2.875" O.D. Round Shafts - Kt = 9 ft-1
3.0" O.D. Round Shafts - Kt = 8 ft-1
3.5" O.D. Round Shafts - Kt = 7 ft-1
Proof testing of at least twenty percent of the helical piers in eight equal increments up to 200
percent of the design load, if required by the permitting authority. Each load increment up to the
200 percent of design load should be held for five (5) minutes and the vertical strain monitored. If
the total strain between 1 and 5 minutes is less than 0.04 inches, the helical pier may be
considered acceptable. If the recorded strain exceeds 0.04 inches, the helical pier should either be
deepened and retested or abandoned and a new helical pier shall be installed and tested.
Closure
The information presented herein is based upon professional interpretation utilizing standard
practices and a degree of conservatism deemed proper for this project. We emphasize that this
report is valid for this project as outlined above and for the current site conditions and should not
be used for any other site.
www.cobaltgeo.com (2o6) 331-1097
August 11, 2021
Page 4 of 4
Limited Geotechnical Evaluation
Sincerely,
Cobalt Geosciences, LLC
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Phil Haberman, PE, LG, LEG 8/11/2021
Principal
Figure 1; Site Plan
Figure 2; Repair Plan
Figure 3; Hand Boring Log
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Approximate Hand N
xB-1 Boring Location
A
Foundation Mitigation SITE PLAN
17808 73rd Place West
Edmonds, Washington FIGURE i
Cobalt Geosciences, LLC
P.O. Box 82243
Kenmore, WA 98028
(206) 331-1097
www.cobaltgeo.com
cobaltgeopgmail.com
Cobalt Geosciences, LLC
Foundation Mitigation REPAIR P.O. Box 82243
17808 73rd Place West PLAN Kenmore, WA 98028(206) 331-1097
Edmonds, Washington FIGURE 2 www.cobaltgeo.com
cobaltgeo(&gmail.com
Unified Soil Classification System (USCS)
MAJOR DIVISIONS
SYMBOL
TYPICAL DESCRIPTION
Clean Gravels
Gw
Well -graded gravels, gravels, gravel -sand mixtures, little or no fines
Gravels
(more than 50%
(less than 5%
fines)
GP
Poorly graded gravels, gravel -sand mixtures, little or no fines
COARSE
GRAINED
SOILS
of coarse fraction
retained on No. 4
sieve)
Gravels with
Fines
(more than 12%
fines)
GM
Silty gravels, gravel -sand -silt mixtures
GC
Clayey gravels, gravel -sand -clay mixtures
(more than 50%
retained on
Clean Sands
:•: sw
Well -graded sands, gravelly sands, little or no fines
No. 200 sieve)
Sands
(50% or more
of coarse fraction
(less than 5%
fines)
sP
Poorly graded sand, gravelly sands, little or no fines
passes the No. 4
sieve)
Sands with
Fines
sM
Silty sands, sand -silt mixtures
(more than 12%
fines)
sc
Clayey sands, sand -clay mixtures
ML
Inorganic silts of low to medium plasticity, sandy silts, gravelly silts,
FINE GRAINED
(50% or more
Silts and Clays
(liquid limit less
than 50)
Inorganic
cL
or clayey silts with slight plasticity
Inorganic clays of low to medium plasticity, gravelly clays, sandy clays
silty clays, lean clays
Organic rganic
oL
Organic silts and organic silty clays of low plasticity
passes the
MH
Inorganic silts, micaceous or diatomaceous fine sands or silty soils,
No. 200 sieve)
Silts and Clays
(liquid limit 50 or
more)
Inorganic
elastic silt
CH
Inorganic clays of medium to high plasticity, sandy fat clay,
or gravelly fat clay
Organic
OHOrganic
clays of medium to high plasticity, organic silts
HIGHLY ORGANIC
SOILS
Primarily organic matter, dark in color,
and organic odor
PT
Peat, humus, swamp soils with high organic content (ASTM D4427)
Classification of Soil Constituents
MAJOR constituents compose more than 50 percent,
by weight, of the soil. Major constituents are capitalized
(i.e., SAND).
Minor constituents compose 12 to 50 percent of the soil
and precede the major constituents (i.e., silty SAND).
Minor constituents preceded by "slightly" compose
5 to 12 percent of the soil (i.e., slightly silty SAND).
Trace constituents compose o to 5 percent of the soil
(i.e., slightly silty SAND, trace gravel).
Relative Density
(Coarse Grained Soils)
Consistency
(Fine Grained Soils)
N, SPT,
Relative
N, SPT,
Relative
Blows/FT
Density
Blows/FT
Consistency
0-4
Very loose
Under 2
Very soft
4 -10
Loose
2-4
Soft
10 - 30
Medium dense
4-8
Medium stiff
30 - 50
Dense
8 -15
Stiff
Over 50
Very dense
15 - 30
Very stiff
Over 3o
Hard
Grain Size Definitions
Description
Sieve Number and/or Size
Fines
<#200 (o.o8 mm)
Sand
-Fine
#200 to #40 (o.o8 to 0.4 mm)
-Medium
#40 to #10 (0.4 to 2 mm)
-Coarse
#10 to #4 (2 to 5 mm)
Gravel
-Fine
#4 to 3/4 inch (5 to 19 mm)
-Coarse
3/4 to 3 inches (19 to 76 mm)
Cobbles
3 to 12 inches (75 to 305 mm)
Boulders
>12 inches (305 mm)
1 Moisture Content Definitions 1
Dry Absence of moisture, dusty, dry to the touch
Moist Damp but no visible water
Wet Visible free water, from below water table
Cobalt Geosciences, LLC
P.O. Box 82243
Kenmore, WA 98028
Soil Classification Chart
Figure Ci
(2o6) 331-1097
_
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cobaltgeo(&gmail.com
Log of Hand Boring HB-1
Date: July 2021
Depth: 6'
Initial Groundwater: None
Contractor:
Elevation: N/A
Sample Type: Grab
Method: Hand Auger
Logged By: PH Checked By: SC
Final Groundwater: N/A
oo
4
Moisture Content (%)
Plastic Liquid
L
_ >
OU
-
U
a
Limit Limit
t
o
t
LO
U
Material Description
o
E 9
m
0
?
o
SPT N-Value
G
0 10 20 30 40 5
Vegetation/Topsoil
----
_
----
--
---
SM
--------------------------------------------
Loose, silty -fine to medium grained sand with gravel,
dark yellowish brown to yellowish brown,
:. •
dry to moist.
—2
—3
SM
Medium dense, silty -fine to medium grained sand with gravel,
yellowish brown to grayish brown, moist. (Glacial Till)
—5
End of Hand Boring 6'
—7
—8
—9
— 10
Cobalt Geosciences, LLC
P.O. Box 82243
Kenmore, WA 98028
(2o6) 331-1097
www.cobaltgeo.com
cobaltgeopgmail.com
Foundation Mitigation
178o8 73rd Place West
Edmonds, Washington
Hand
Boring
Log