Abstract:

O-Cell Bi-directional load test, introduced to the world 30 years ago by Dr. Jorg Osterberg, has gain popularity in recent years and has become a very common test. Nonetheless, majority of the construction industries and consultants do not know the underlying theory and assumptions associated with O-Cell test. Owing to this, interpretation of the test results rely solely on the testers with minimum scrutiny from the authority. This has become an issue with emergence of different testers of bidirectional load test practicing bi-directional load test without understanding the fundamental principal of O-Cell test. This presentation serves to discuss the basic requirement and best practice for bi-directional load test with ultimate goal of encouraging the authority to establish a specification/standard for bi-directional load test.


Profile of Speaker:

Alston Lim currently serves as an Foundation Testing Manager for Fugro Singapore Land which specializes in O-cell bi-directional load test, SI, instrumentations, and geophysics. He has accumulated more than 10 years of experience in this specialized field of O-cell testing technology. He oversees the field operations, data analysis, marketing, research, and theoretical development of O-cell technology within the Asia Pacific region. He obtained his Bachelor of Sciences Degree in Civil Engineering from Iowa State University (USA) in 1998 and was involved in the research of integral abutment bridge design (a research funded by Iowa Department of Transportation and led by Dr. Robert Abendroth) for duration of 5 years upon graduation. After completion of the research project, he joined a contractor in 2004 for a bridge crossing project for Rajang River in Sibu (Sarawak, Malaysia). As a part of career progression, he later joined a precast company in Johor (Malaysia) which fabricates the precast segment for MRT tunnel project in Singapore. In 2007, he migrated to Singapore and joined a company specializing in slope stabilization. A year later, he joined Loadtest Asia Pte. Ltd. (bought over by Fugro in 2010) where he serves until today. Alston and his team of engineers were involved in more than 100 projects and 200 test piles around the world (Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Australia, Korea, India, Pakistan, UAE, and Hong Kong). In one of the projects, ZhuHai-HongKong-Macau Bridge in Hongkong, a multi-level O-cell tests were performed.to a maximum test load of 250 MN.