SoCe Flats, FL

The Challenge

Evaluating Settlement for a Condominium

Located in Olde Naples, Florida, SoCe Flats is a three-story condominium with first-floor commercial space and parking, and 18 residential units and an amenities area on the second and third floors.

The building's large column spans and structural loads initially indicated that ground improvement, such as vibro-replacement, could be required to reduce settlement to tolerable limits.

For the client, the cost of a ground improvement program could have significantly affected the project's feasibility. A more refined understanding of the site's soil stiffness was needed to determine whether the proposed structure could be supported without this additional treatment.

The Solution

Refining the Settlement Analysis

SOCOTEC performed dilatometer testing to further evaluate the stiffness of the soils within the zone of influence beneath the proposed foundations.

The additional in-situ testing provided soil parameters for a more refined settlement analysis, allowing the project team to better assess how the underlying soils would respond to the proposed structure.

SOCOTEC's scope included:

• Dilatometer testing to evaluate soil stiffness
• In-situ soil parameter collection for settlement analysis
• Additional soil analysis to refine settlement predictions
• Ground settlement and improvement assessment
• Evaluation of whether shallow foundations could meet tolerable settlement limits

The Results

A Feasible Foundation Approach

The refined analysis demonstrated that settlement could be predicted within tolerable limits for the proposed structure, allowing SoCe Flats to be supported on a shallow foundation system without a vibro-replacement ground improvement program.

By providing additional site-specific data and refining the settlement analysis, SOCOTEC helped the client avoid the need for costly ground improvement and maintain the feasibility of the project.