GENERAL INFORMATION
ABOUT THE FIRM
The practice of HARTMAN ENGINEERING is concentrated
in two primary areas. The first is the design of excavation
protection systems, i.e., cofferdams, anchored walls,
underpinning, slopes, shoring and bracing. The second is the
evaluation and design of repairs for unusual structures,
structures seriously damaged by foundation problems, loss of
structural support, construction problems, etc. The two areas
are closely related because both involve understanding and
working with the interaction between geotechnical and
structural engineering.
Because the work is
specialized, our practice extends over a large geographical
area, both domestic and interational. Dr Richard J. Hartman,
Principal of the firm, is licensed as a professional engineer
in thirty-seven states.
EXCAVATION PROTECTION
DESIGN EXPERIENCE
HARTMAN ENGINEERING
has provided excavation protection design and consultant
services since 1968 and has designed hundreds of excavation
protection systems. We also perform investigations, write
reports, and advise clients in cofferdam failure situations.
In addition to work in the United States, projects have been
designed in Puerto Rico, Panama, Egypt, and the Marshall
Islands.
EXPERIENCE WITH DAMAGED
STRUCTURES
Our work in this field involves
initial response to situations of heavy damage to buildings
and towers. Depending upon the situation, HARTMAN
ENGINEERING sometimes designs the remedial measures and
provides inspection during the repair work. Four of the most
significant projects are described below.
- The firm provided initial emergency response to Jones
Memorial Hospital in Wellsville, New York, when the
foundation soils were being eroded by a flooding river.
During the emergency the movement of one wing was halted and
one wing collapsed into the river. Subsequently, the firm
supervised salvage efforts and designed lifting systems for
leveling the damaged portions of the structure.
- When construction problems seriously endangered an
eight-story, reinforced concrete building under construction
at Cornell University, HARTMAN ENGINEERING provided
emergency services. Initial safety evaluations were provided
and monitoring systems for the structure were setup and
maintained.
- HARTMAN ENGINEERING was involved in rehabilitation
of a newly constructed condominium building in San Juan,
Puerto Rico. Two parking levels were constructed below sea
level and the lower slabs were lifting due to the water
pressure. The firm diagnosed the problem, designed the
repair system, and provided inspection during implementation
of the repairs.
- In Oswego, New York, a 200 foot long portion of loading
dock was heavily damaged by a falling grain elevator which
was being demolished. The liability insurance carrier was
our client. HARTMAN ENGINEERING completed supervision
of the removal of underwater debris from the harbor and
inspection of the dock to establish the extent of damage. We
then designed the repairs and supervised the
reconstruction.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
ACTIVITIES
Consistent with our expertise in
design of sheet piling installations, in 1991 and 1992
HARTMAN ENGINEERING performed a research project
related to the strength of steel sheet piling for Bethlehem
Steel Corporation and the L. B. Foster Company. The project
involved full scale testing of sheet piling to determine
whether a difference in strength exists between sections with
equal strength parameters, i.e., section modulus, but
manufactured by different processes. It was established that a
large discrepancy exists between sections supplied by
different manufacturers. A second phase of the project was to
develop an analysis procedure and a new design method for
selecting steel sheet piling for use in retaining structures;
the design procedures are being well received by code writing
agencies (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, AASHTO, etc.), and it
is anticipated that the work will result in significant
changes in the procedures used by engineers to design sheet
piling walls.
In 1997, Bethlehem Steel discontinued
rolling structural shapes, including sheet piling. Chaparral
Steel Company of Midlothian, TX, is now rolling sheet piling,
and HARTMAN ENGINEERING has been retained by them to
design new sheet piling sections. Because of the research and
the new procedures incorporated into design of the sheet
piling sections, we were granted two patents by the U.S.
Patent Office.
For several years, Dr. Hartman has been
presenting seminars to engineers to teach them the design of
steel sheet piling structures. Discussions include straight
web piling and cellular cofferdams, flexible walls of Z-shape
and U-shape piling. Also discussed are the properties of
Z-shape piling including the results of the research conducted
by HARTMAN ENGINEERING.
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