Introduction

Hong Kong is renowned for its major geotechnical works and Jacobs has provided expertise to a large number of projects in this field. The projects range in size from the investigation of minor slopes to the full geotechnical appraisal, advice and implementation for major civil engineering projects. We specialise in value engineering and alternative design to provide cost effective solutions to geotechnical problems.


Aspects of Geotechnical advices offered include:

• Site investigation
  - Design, supervision and repairing  
• Foundations
  - Design, analysis and supervision, including shallow foundations
  - Pile design : bored and driven
  - Pile installation studies
  - Pile test design and evaluation
  - Instrumented pile load testing
• Slope engineering
  - Slope assessments
  - Assessment of slope failures
  - Slope remediation
  - Rock bolting
  - Soil nailing
  - Reinforced soil slopes
• Advanced numerical analysis
  - Continuum analysis of soil structure
  - Interactions including slopes, embankments and deep excavations
• Retaining wall design
  - Including diaphragm walls and bored pile walls
  - Retained earth walls
  - Reinforced concrete walls
• Tunnelling
  - Cut and cover tunnels
  - Bored tunnels
  - Pipe jacking
  - Geotechnical assessments and interpretation
  - Seepage analysis
  - Settlement analysis     
  - Construction monitoring
• Ground improvement assessment
  - Design and supervision
  - Dynamic compaction
  - Vibrocompaction
  - Soil nailing
  - Grouting
• Ground water control
  - Seepage analysis and modeling
  - Design of water, cut-off
  - Design of dewatering
• Special geotechnical problems
  - Expansive and collapsing soils
  - Karstic features
  - Carbonate soils and rocks
  - Soil dynamics
  - Liquefaction potential assessment
  - Remedial underpinning
  - Ground contamination studies
  - Ground contamination remedial assessment
  - Effects of tunnelling
• Geotechnical instrumentation
  - Planning of ground monitoring
  - Interpretation of monitoring
  

Projects

Stability Studies, Design and Construction of Landslip Preventive Works, Hong Kong Client: Geotechnical Engineering Office This project involved desk studies, stability analysis and reporting on more than 100 'Stage 2' features, site investigation, detailed design for upgrading and landslip preventive measures for 58 'Stage 3' features.

Site Formation Works for Ma Hang Estate Phase 2/3, Hong Kong Client: Hong Kong Housing Authority This project comprised the formation of building platforms and associated slopes, retaining walls, slope stabilisation and the construction of all necessary drainage, roads and utilities.

Prudential Hotel - Basement, Hong Kong Client: Prudential Enterprises This commercial/hotel development called for a full basement 70m by 30m with five levels below the street. Excavation was therefore a major operation and started with driving steel sheet piling to the bed rock which is located at approximately second basement level. Steel columns for the temporary works were installed by drilling through the decomposed granite to bed rock. A working platform was erected and lower level framing introduced with welding, struts and bracing as excavation progressed.

Lok Fu Shopping Centre, Hong Kong Client: Hong Kong Housing Authority This building is seven storeys high with a three level semi-basement and a 20m high atrium. The foundation consists of a 1m thick raft founded on highly decomposed granite with a diaphragm wall forming the basement wall and acting as a temporary support to the 11m deep basement excavation within MTR protection zone.