DFI Magazine May/June 2020 - 17

underground features. With a hologram, all parties can see through
the earth to the actual locations where explorations are made,
samples are obtained, measurements are taken, design values are
assigned or construction is planned.
A holographic model can differ from a virtual reality
experience, where a user is completely immersed in what is often a
solitary adventure (even to some extent in so-called multiplayer
environments). A 3D holographic environment is usually
immersive, but less passive than 3D movies because users generally
can interact in the 3D space from different vantage points by
moving themselves around in the room or other setting. Viewers
can participate in an augmented reality setting individually or
within a collaborative group. When in a group, the common setting
lends itself to interaction and, in the authors' experiences,
invariably a discussion ensues, wherein people are gesturing and
interacting (to the extent possible) with the hologram.
An immersive model also provides the following powerful
advantages:
* Revealing how little of the subsurface is actually characterized
in typical investigations (which may lead to improved site
characterization)
* Rapidly facilitating a shared and common understanding of
complex 3D data
* Presenting design alternatives in 3D space (to enhance design
selection) while using step-wise progressions of images or
overlapping semi-transparent volumes

Hologram of complex anchor design (credit: Dimitrios Konstantakos,
Deep Excavation)

improved communication and of the clear, comprehensive
presentation of geotechnical information to internal and external
project stakeholders. Two studies cited in the National Cooperative
Highway Research Program's NCHRP Synthesis 484, Influence of
Geotechnical Investigation and Subsurface Conditions on Claims,
Change Orders, and Overruns, concluded that large geotechnical
project risks are attributable to human interpretation and decisionmaking aspects of the geotechnical design process. The Synthesis

Mitigating Foundation Risks
Incomplete Data. The risk in construction
below ground lies in discovering
unforeseen conditions or discovering that
the planned means and methods of
construction are not effective or desirable.
Primary sources of risk during construction
or service may relate to the foundation
construction itself, or to ground stability.
Geotechnical threats are often thought
of as mischaracterized physical conditions
such as low-quality samples or erroneous
measurements. However, risk can also
increase if important information such as
boundary locations, material types and
properties, and spatial or temporal
variability have not been well defined across
a site. That is, regardless of the accuracy, precision, or quality of subsurface information
that is available, if this information is
incomplete, risks may increase.
Design Risks. The same is true if
Hologram of pile schematics, other data below Rice, Minnesota, street plan
subsurface conditions are not effectively
included a review of several geotechnical risk studies (Baynes,
communicated, which could lead to inappropriate interpretations
2010), which concluded that "the ground conditions and the
and assessments due to oversimplification or overlooking critical
project staff responsible for the geo-engineering process are both
factors. Research supports the importance for risk mitigation of

DEEP FOUNDATIONS * MAY/JUNE 2020 * 17
DFI Magazine May/June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DFI Magazine May/June 2020
