CHANGE OF EXECUTIVE METHODOLOGY IN FOUNDATION DESIGN DURING THE EXECUTION PHASE OF A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IN CANAÃ DOS CARAJÁS-PA

The choice of foundation type is one of the main stages in the preparation of a foundation project.A quality geotechnical investigation, a good study of the boundary conditions and the execution of a load test campaign before issuing the executive design of the foundation are essential for providing the best possible information and for the project to be properly dimensioned.The aim of this article is to present a case study of a construction project in Cana dos Carajs-PA, where part of the executive foundation project consisted of excavated piles with the use of stabilizing fluid (1.0m), but during the staking process, the construction company confirmed that it is possible to replace the execution method with the monitored continuous auger type (1.0m), with the piles mobilizing the same or greater geotechnical load capacity, reducing the useful length of the shaft, the weight of the steel reinforcement and the volume of concrete, as well as, above all, the execution time.After confirming that it was possible to achieve the useful lengths dimensioned by semi-empirical methods, dynamic load tests and static load tests were carried out, which proved that the minimum load capacity required had been mobilized.The replacement of the foundation execution methodology led to a reduction of 2.5% in the length drilled, 26.9% in the weight of steel, 4.3% in the volume of concrete and 62.5% in the execution time.It can therefore be seen that advances in the technology of drilling rigs that execute monitored continuous helical piles have increased drilling capacity in competent soils, promoting the viability of the methodology in scenarios that were utopian years ago.