Juan Sebastián Carvajal-Muñoz
University of Maine
Degrees:
B.S. Civil Engineering – University of Antioquia – 2020
M.S. Civil Engineering – University of Maine – In Progress
Preferred Career after Graduation:
Research
Broad research Area:
Geotechnical Engineering
Specific Research Area:
Soil-Structure Interaction
Other Interests & Activities: Hiking, Cycling, Chess
Student Bio: Juan Sebastian Carvajal-Muñoz is a graduate student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Maine. He was born in Medellín, Colombia. In 2020 he completed his Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering at the University of Antioquia. He started his graduate studies in Spring 2021 in Geotechnical Engineering under the supervision of Professor Aaron Gallant. Currently, he is working on the application of modified Helical Piles foundations in lightweight transportation structures.
Thesis title: Lateral and Torsional Resistance of Modified Helical Piles using a Novel Collar Vane
Thesis Summary: Helical Piles (HPs) are lightweight deep foundation elements that can generate significant geotechnical axial resistance by mobilizing the shear strength of the soil adjacent to the helical plates that are welded on the HP shaft. Though the performance of HPs under axial load is well understood, state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) may be hesitant to adopt this technology due, in part, to the industry’s limited understanding and uncertainty regarding HPs
lateral and torsional resistance.
A novel Collar Vane (CV) technology was applied to overcome this limitation. In collaboration with Hubbell Power System, full-scale lateral and torsional load tests were conducted on instrumented HP and testing frame to understand the influence of the patent-pending CV technology on the performance of HPs subject to torsional and lateral loads.
Both, monotonic and cyclic load tests were performed using two different load sequences: (a) Lateral load followed by torsion load and (b) Torsion load followed by a lateral load. During cyclic tests, 1,000 load cycles were imposed to investigate the potential degradation of geotechnical resistance during extreme events. Field results suggest that the Collar Vane technology effectively increases the geotechnical resistance of the Helical Piles.
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