Professional Presentations:

Footing Load Tests: A New Approach to Improving Dynamic Foundation Design;Shafer, J. Ryan, Christian P. Muller and Donald W. Quigley; Structural Engineers Association of California Convention, Monterey, California, August 2004 – During construction of an 80-foot deep basement for the new Stanley Hall at UC Berkeley, full scale spread footings were built and load tested to develop improved dynamic modulus values for future buildings at the campus.

Footing Load Tests (FLTs) were conducted using the FUNDEX PLT operated by American Pile Driving.  The PLT is a mobile track-mounted load testing apparatus, whereby a 55,000 lb mass is raised to a selected height or potential energy and allowed to free fall and apply the desired cyclic load to the footings, up to 800 kips. Revised subgrade modulus values based on the Stanley Hall FLT results enabled substantial reductions in design shear and moments on interior grade beams for the subsequent Davis Hall North project. Substantial cost savings were realized due to the new FLT approach.  Prior to joining Hultgren – Tillis Engineers, Mr. Muller worked with colleagues J. Ryan Shafer and Donald W. Quigley to design the FLT method, observe testing and evaluate the test results. Mr. Muller served as project manager for the geotechnical investigations of Stanley Hall and Davis Hall North.