REPORTON

PRELIMINARYGEOTECHNICALINVESTIGATION
212DAVISDRIVE
NEWMARKET,ONTARIO

PreparedFor:

Green&RoseDevelopmentsInc.
156DuncanMillRoad,Unit12
NorthYork,Ontario
M3B3N2

SPLProjectNo.:10000252100
April16,2014

2014SPLConsultantsLimited

TableofContents
1. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................1
2. FIELDANDLABORATORYWORK...........................................................................................................2
3. SITEANDSUBSURFACECONDITIONS....................................................................................................2
3.1

SoilConditions..........................................................................................................................2

3.2

GroundwaterConditions..........................................................................................................3

4. FOUNDATIONS......................................................................................................................................3
5. FLOORSLABANDPERMANENTDRAINAGE...........................................................................................5
6. EXCAVATIONSANDGROUNDWATERCONTROL...................................................................................5
7. EARTHPRESSURES.................................................................................................................................6
8. EARTHQUAKECONSIDERATIONS..........................................................................................................6
9. PAVEMENTS..........................................................................................................................................6
10. GENERALCOMMENTSANDLIMITATIONOFREPORT...........................................................................8
Drawings
BOREHOLELOCATIONPLAN
GENERALNOTESONSAMPLEDESCRIPTIONS
BOREHOLELOGS
GENERALIZEDSUBSURFACEPROFILE
GRADATIONCURVES
DRAINAGERECOMMENDATIONS

1
1A
26

7
8
9

PreliminaryGeotechnicalInvestigationat212DavisDrive,Newmarket,ON
SPLProjectNo.:10000252100
April11,2014

1.

INTRODUCTION

SPL Consultants Limited (SPL) was retained by Green & Rose Developments Inc. to undertake a
preliminary geotechnical investigation for the proposed development located at 212 Davis Drive,
Newmarket,Ontario.
Itisunderstoodthattheproposeddevelopmentwillconsistofaslabongrade15storeybuildinginthe
northpartofthesite,withFinishedFloorElevation251.85mandalowriseabovegradeparkinggarage
atthesouthpartwithFinishedFloorElevation251.65m.
Thepurposeofthispreliminarygeotechnicalinvestigationwastodeterminethesubsurfaceconditions
at the borehole locations and from the findings in the boreholes make preliminary engineering
recommendationsforthefollowing:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Foundations
Floorslabsandpermanentdrainage
ExcavationsandGroundwaterControl
Earthpressures
Earthquakeconsiderations

This report deals with geotechnical issues only. Environmental findings by SPL are documented in
separatereports.
Thisgeotechnicalreportispreliminarypreparedonthebasisoflimitednumberofboreholes.Onlyone
borehole was drilled in the area of the proposed 15storey building. Additional two boreholes are
recommendedwithinthefootprintoftheproposed15storeybuildingpriortofinalizingthedesign.
Thisreportisprovidedonthebasisofthetermsofreferencepresentedaboveandontheassumption
thatthedesignwillbeinaccordancewiththeapplicablecodesandstandards.Ifthereareanychanges
in the design features relevant to the geotechnical analyses, or if any questions arise concerning the
geotechnicalaspectsofthecodesandstandards,thisofficeshouldbecontactedtoreviewthedesign.It
may then be necessary to carry out additional borings and reporting before the recommendations of
thisofficecanbereliedupon.
The site investigation and recommendations follow generally accepted practice for geotechnical
consultantsinOntario.Theformatandcontentsareguidedbyclientspecificneedsandeconomicsand
donotconformtogeneralizedstandardsforservices.LaboratorytestingformostpartfollowsASTMor
CSAStandardsormodificationsofthesestandardsthathavebecomestandardpractice.
This report has been prepared for Green & Rose Developments Inc. and its architect and designers.
ThirdpartyuseofthisreportwithoutSPLConsultantsLimitedconsentisprohibited.

PreliminaryGeotechnicalInvestigationat212DavisDrive,Newmarket,ON
SPLProjectNo.:10000252100
April11,2014

2.

FIELDANDLABORATORYWORK

Fiveboreholes(BH131toBH134andBH137,seeDrawing1forboreholelocations)weredrilledonthe
subjectsiteinJanuary2013,todepthsvaryingfrom7.8to11.1m.Boreholesweredrilledwithhollow
stemcontinuousflightaugerequipmentbyadrillingsubcontractorunderthedirectionandsupervision
ofSPLConsultantsLimitedpersonnel.Sampleswereretrievedatregularintervalswitha50mmO.D.
splitbarrelsamplerdrivenwithahammerweighing624Nanddropping760mminaccordancewiththe
StandardPenetrationTest(SPT)method.ThesampleswereloggedinthefieldandreturnedtotheSPL
Consultants Limited laboratory for detailed examination by the project engineer and for laboratory
testing.
Aswellasvisualexaminationinthelaboratory,allsoilsamplesweretestedformoisturecontents.Grain
sizeanalysesoftwoselectedsoilsampleswereconductedandtheresultsarepresentedonDrawing8.
Water level observations were made during drilling and upon completion. Monitoring wells were
installedatthreeboreholelocations(BH132toBH134)tomonitorstabilized(longterm)groundwater
levels.
The surface elevations at the borehole locations were referenced to the geodetic datum and were
surveyedbySPL.
3.

SITEANDSUBSURFACECONDITIONS

TheboreholelocationplanisshownonDrawing1.Generalnotesonsamplesdescriptionarepresented
onDrawing1A.Thesubsurfaceconditionsintheboreholesarepresentedintheindividualboreholelogs
(Drawings2to6inclusive).AgeneralizedsubsurfaceprofileispresentedonDrawing7.
3.1

SoilConditions

Intheboreholes,thenativesoilsbelowthefillmaterialgenerallyconsistedofsandysilttosiltysandtill
depositswithoccasionallayersofclayeysilttill.
Topsoil/FillMaterial:Asurficialtopsoillayervaryinginthicknessfrom100to200mmwasfoundinall
boreholes,overlyingfillmaterial.Fillmaterialwasencounteredinboreholesextendingtodepthsvarying
from0.8to3.0m.Fillmaterialgenerallyconsistedofclayeysilt,withoccasionallayersofsiltysandand
wasgenerallypresentinaloosestate,withoccasionalcompactlayers.Inclusionsoftopsoil/rootletsin
varyingproportionswerenotedinthefillmaterial.
SandySilttoSiltySandTill:Sandysilttosiltysandtilldepositwasencounteredinallboreholesbelowfill
materialorclayeysilttill,extendingtothemaximumexploreddepths.Thesandysilttosiltysandtillwas
present in a compact to very dense state, with measured SPT N values ranging from 15 to over 50
blows per 300 mm of penetration. Occasional cobble / boulder were encountered in the boreholes
duringdrilling.

PreliminaryGeotechnicalInvestigationat212DavisDrive,Newmarket,ON
SPLProjectNo.:10000252100
April16,2014

Grainsizeanalysisofsandysilttosiltysandtillsample(BH134/SS4)wasconductedandthegradation
curveispresentedonDrawing8,withthefollowingfractions:
Clay: 12%
Silt: 47%
Sand: 38%
Gravel:3%
Clayey Silt Till: Clayey silt till layer was encountered in BH131 below fill material and in BH137
embeddedwithinsandytilldeposits.Clayeysilttillwaspresentinastifftoverystiffconsistency,with
typicalmeasuredSPTNvaluesrangingfrom12to19blowsper300mmofpenetration.
Grain size analysis of one sample from clayey silt till (BH131/SS5) was conducted and the gradation
curveispresentedonDrawing8,withthefollowingfractions:
Clay: 19%
Silt: 65%
Sand: 15%
Gravel:1%
3.2

GroundwaterConditions

The groundwater table observed in the wells was at depths ranging from 3.3 to 5.8 m below existing
grade,correspondingtoelevationsrangingfrom247.7to249.9m,aslistedonTable1.
Table1:SummaryofMonitoringWellMeasurements
Borehole/
Well

Ground
Surface

Dateof
Installation

Dateof
Observation

Depthof
Groundwater

Elevationof
Groundwater

BH132(S)

253.2

Jan.31/13

Mar.18/13

3.3

249.9

BH132(D)

253.2

Mar.15/13

Mar.18/13

4.3

248.9

BH133(S)

254.7

Jan.31/13

Mar.18/13

5.8

248.9

BH133(D)

254.7

Mar.15/13

Mar.18/13

5.8

248.9

BH134

252.4

Jan.31/13

Feb.28/13

4.7

247.7

It should be noted that the groundwater levels can vary and are subject to seasonal fluctuations in
responsetomajorweatherevents.
4.

FOUNDATIONS

Afifteen(15)storeybuildingwithoutbasementisproposedatthenorthpartofthesite,withfinished
flooratElevation251.85m.Alowrise,abovegradeparkinggaragewillbeconstructedatthesouthpart,

PreliminaryGeotechnicalInvestigationat212DavisDrive,Newmarket,ON
SPLProjectNo.:10000252100
April16,2014

withfinishedflooratElevation251.65m.TheexistinggradeatthesubjectsitevariesfromaboutElev.
252.4to254.8m;inthiscasesitewillrequiresignificantcutoperations.
Basedontheboreholeinformation,theproposed15storeybuildingcanbesupportedbyconventional
spread and strip footings founded on undisturbed native soil for a bearing capacity of 500 kPa at the
serviceabilitylimitstates(SLS),andforafactoredgeotechnicalresistanceof750kPaattheultimatelimit
states(ULS).Theproposedparkinggaragecanbesupportedbyconventionalspreadandstripfootings
founded on undisturbed native soil for bearing capacity values of 200 to 500 kPa at the serviceability
limitstates(SLS),andforafactoredgeotechnicalresistanceof300to750kPaattheultimatelimitstates
(ULS). The bearing values and the corresponding founding elevations at the borehole locations are
summarizedonTable2.
Table2:BearingValuesandFoundingLevelsofFootings
BH

Material

Bearing
Factored
Minimum
Capacity Geotechnical
Depth
atSLS
Resistance
below
(kPa)
atULS
Existing
(kPa)
Ground
(m)

Founding
LevelAt
orBelow
Elevation
(m)

No.

BH131

Sandysilttosiltysandtill

500

750

4.1

250.7

BH132

Sandysilttosiltysandtill

200
400
500

300
600
750

2.6
3.2
4.1

250.6
250.0
249.1

BH133

Sandysilttosiltysandtill

500

750

4.1

250.6

BH134

Sandysilttosiltysandtill

500

750

2.4

250.0

BH137

Clayeysilttill
Sandysilttosiltysandtill

200
500

300
750

3.0
4.9

251.2
249.3

Foundationsdesignedtothespecifiedallowablebearingcapacityattheserviceabilitylimitstates(SLS)
areexpectedtosettlelessthan25mmtotaland19mmdifferential.
All footings exposed to seasonal freezing conditions must have at least 1.5m of soil cover for frost
protection.
Allfootingbasesmustbeinspectedbythisofficepriortopouringconcrete.A50mmthickskimcoatof
concrete must be placed on the founding subgrade immediately after its approval to prevent its
disturbancebyconstructionmachineryandfoottraffic.

PreliminaryGeotechnicalInvestigationat212DavisDrive,Newmarket,ON
SPLProjectNo.:10000252100
April16,2014

Whereitisnecessarytoplacefootingsatdifferentlevels,theupperfootingmustbefoundedbelowan
imaginary 10 horizontal to 7 vertical line drawn up from the base of the lower footing. The lower
footingmustbeinstalledfirsttohelpminimizetheriskofunderminingtheupperfooting.
It should be noted that the recommended bearing capacities have been calculated by SPL from the
borehole information for the preliminary design stage only. The investigation and comments are
necessarily ongoing as new information of the underground conditions becomes available. For
example, more specific information is available with respect to conditions between boreholes when
foundationconstructionisunderway.Theinterpretationbetweenboreholesandtherecommendations
of this report must therefore be checked through field inspections provided by SPL to validate the
informationforuseduringtheconstructionstage.
5.

FLOORSLABANDPERMANENTDRAINAGE

Thefloorslabcanbesupportedongradeprovidedalloftheexistingtopsoil,fillmaterialandsurficially
softened/disturbednativeareremovedandthebasethoroughlyproofrolled.Thefillrequiredtoraise
thegradecanconsistofinorganicsoil,placedinshallowliftsandcompactedto98percentofStandard
ProctorMaximumDryDensity(SPMDD).
Amoisturebarrierconsistingofatleast200mmof19mmclearcrushedstoneshouldbeinstalledunder
thefloorslab.
Ifthefloorslabismorethanabout300mmhigherthantheexteriorgradethenperimeterdrainageis
not considered to be necessary. If the floor is lower, then the perimeter drainage system shown on
Drawing9isrecommended.
6.

EXCAVATIONSANDGROUNDWATERCONTROL

Excavationscanbecarriedoutwithheavyhydraulicbackhoe.Nomajorproblemswithgroundwaterare
anticipatedfortheinstallationoffoundations.Itis expectedthatanyseepage,whichoccursfromthe
perchedwatertrappedinfillmaterialorduringwetperiodscanberemovedbypumpingfromsumps.
AllexcavationsmustbecarriedoutinaccordancewiththemostrecentOccupationalHealthandSafety
Act(OHSA).InaccordancewithOHSA,thefillandstiffclayeysoilscanbeclassifiedasType3Soilabove
groundwatertable.Thestifftoveryclayeysilttillanddensetoverydensesandysilttosiltysandtillcan
beclassifiedasType2SoilabovegroundwatertableandType3Soilbelowgroundwatertable.
Thenativesoilsfreefromtopsoilandorganicscanbeusedasgeneralconstructionbackfillwhereitcan
becompactedwithsheep'sfoottypecompactors.Looseliftsofsoil,whicharetobecompacted,should
notexceed200mm.Dependingonthetimeofconstructionandweather,someexcavatedmaterialmay
betoowettocompactandwillrequireaerationpriortoitsuse.

PreliminaryGeotechnicalInvestigationat212DavisDrive,Newmarket,ON
SPLProjectNo.:10000252100
April16,2014

Importedgranularfill,whichcanbecompactedwithhandheldequipment,shouldbeusedinconfined
areas. Underfloor fill should be compacted to at least 98 percent of Standard Proctor Maximum Dry
Density(SPMDD).
The excavated soils are not considered to be free draining. Where free draining backfill is required,
importedgranularfillsuchasOPSSGranularBshouldbeused.
Itshouldbenotedthattheexcavatedsoilsaresubjecttomoisturecontentincreaseduringwetweather
whichwouldmakethesematerialstoowetforadequatecompaction.Stockpilesshouldbecompacted
atthesurfaceorbecoveredwithtarpaulinstominimizemoistureuptake.
7.

EARTHPRESSURES

Thelateralearthpressuresactingonretainingwallsmaybecalculatedfromthefollowingexpression:

p=K(h+q)
wherep

LateralearthpressureinkPaactingatdepthh

Earthpressurecoefficientequalto0.4forverticalwalls
andhorizontalbackfill.

Unitweightofbackfill,avalueof20.5kN/m3maybeassumed

Depthtopointofinterestinmetres

EquivalentvalueofsurchargeonthegroundsurfaceinkPa

Theaboveexpressionassumesthattheperimeterdrainagesystempreventsthebuildupofany
hydrostaticpressurebehindthewall.
8.

EARTHQUAKECONSIDERATIONS

BasedontheboreholeinformationandaccordingtoTable4.1.8.4.AofOBC2006,thesubjectsiteforthe
proposedbuildingscanbeclassifiedasClassCforseismicsiteresponse.
9.

PAVEMENTS

The recommended pavement structures provided in Table 3 are based upon an estimate of the
subgrade soil properties determined from visual examination and textural classification of the soil
samples.Thevaluesmayneedtobeadjustedbasedonthecity/regionalstandards.Consequently,the
recommended pavement structures should be considered for preliminary design purposes only. A
functionaldesignlifeofeighttotenyearshasbeenusedtoestablishthepavementrecommendations.
Thisrepresentsthenumberofyearstothefirstrehabilitation,assumingregularmaintenanceiscarried
out.Ifrequired,amorerefinedpavementstructuredesigncanbeperformedbasedonspecifictraffic

PreliminaryGeotechnicalInvestigationat212DavisDrive,Newmarket,ON
SPLProjectNo.:10000252100
April16,2014

data and design life requirements and will involve specific laboratory tests to determine frost
susceptibilityandstrengthcharacteristicsofthesubgradesoils,aswellasspecificdatainputfromthe
client.
Table3:RecommendedPavementStructureThickness

PavementLayer

Compaction
Requirements

LightDutyParking
(Cars)

HeavyDutyParking
(DeliveryTrucks)

AsphalticConcrete

92.0to96.5%
MaximumRelative
Density(MRD)

40mmHL3orSP12.5
40mmHL8orSP19.0

40mmHL3orSP12.5
80mmHL8orSP19.0

OPSSGranularABase
(or20mmCrusherRun
Limestone)

100%SPMDD*

150mm

150mm

OPSSGranularB
(or50mmCrusherRun
Limestone)

100%SPMDD

200mm

300mm

*DenotesStandardProctorMaximumDryDensity,ASTMD698
Thesubgrademustbecompactedto98%SPMDDforatleasttheupper300mmunlessaccepted
bySPLConsultantsLimited.
Thelongtermperformanceofthepavementstructureishighlydependentuponthesubgradesupport
conditions. Stringent construction control procedures should be maintained to ensure uniform
subgrade moisture and density conditions are achieved. In addition, the need for adequate drainage
cannotbeoveremphasized.Thefinishedpavementsurfaceandunderlyingsubgradeshouldbefreeof
depressionsandshouldbesloped(preferablyataminimumgradeoftwopercent)toprovideeffective
surface drainage toward catch basins. Surface water should not be allowed to pond adjacent to the
outsideedgesofpavementareas.Subdrainsshouldbeinstalledtointerceptexcesssubsurfacemoisture
andpreventsubgradesoftening.Thisisparticularlyimportantinheavydutypavementareas.
Additionalcommentsontheconstructionofparkingareasandaccessroadwaysareasfollows:
1. As part of the subgrade preparation, proposed parking areas and access roadways should be
stripped of topsoil and other obvious objectionable material. Fill required to raise the grades to
design elevations should conform to backfill requirements outlined in previous sections of this
report. The subgrade should be properly shaped, crowned then proofrolled in the full time
presenceofarepresentativeofthisoffice.Softorspongysubgradeareasshouldbesubexcavated
andproperlyreplacedwithsuitableapprovedbackfillcompactedto98%SPMDD.

PreliminaryGeotechnicalInvestigationat212DavisDrive,Newmarket,ON
SPLProjectNo.:10000252100
April16,2014

2. The locations and extent of subdrainage required within the paved areas should be reviewed by
thisofficeinconjunctionwiththeproposedlotgrading.Assumingthatsatisfactorycrossfallsinthe
orderoftwopercenthavebeenprovided,subdrainsextendingfromandbetweencatchbasinsmay
besatisfactory. Intheeventthatshallowercrossfallsare considered,amoreextensivesystemof
subdrainagemaybenecessaryandshouldbereviewedbySPLConsultantsLimited.
3. The most severe loading conditions on lightduty pavement areas and the subgrade may occur
during construction. Consequently, special provisions such as restricted access lanes, halfloads
during paving, etc., may be required, especially if construction is carried out during unfavourable
weather.
4. ItisrecommendedthatSPLConsultantsLimitedberetainedtoreviewthefinalpavementstructure
designs and drainage plans prior to construction to ensure that they are consistent with the
recommendationsofthisreport.
10.

GENERALCOMMENTSANDLIMITATIONOFREPORT

Thisgeotechnicalreportispreliminarypreparedonthebasisoflimitednumberofboreholes.Onlyone
borehole was drilled in the area of the proposed 15storey building. Additional two boreholes are
recommended within the footprint of proposed 15storey building before the final design of the
development.
SPLConsultantsLimitedshouldberetainedforageneralreviewofthefinaldesignandspecificationsto
verifythatthisreporthasbeenproperlyinterpretedandimplemented.Ifnotaccordedtheprivilegeof
making this review, SPL Consultants Limited will assume no responsibility for interpretation of the
recommendationsinthereport.
Thecommentsgiveninthisreportareintendedonlyfortheguidanceofdesignengineers.Thenumber
of boreholes and test pits required to determine the localized underground conditions between
boreholes and test pits affecting construction costs, techniques, sequencing, equipment, scheduling,
etc.,wouldbemuchgreaterthanhasbeencarriedoutfordesignpurposes.Contractorsbiddingonor
undertaking the works should, in this light, decide on their own investigations, as well as their own
interpretationsofthefactualboreholeandtestpitresults,sothattheymaydrawtheirownconclusions
astohowthesubsurfaceconditionsmayaffectthem.
ThisreportisintendedsolelyfortheClientnamed.Thematerialinitreflectsourbestjudgmentinlight
of the information available to SPL Consultants Limited at the time of preparation. Unless otherwise
agreedinwritingbySPLConsultantsLimited,itshallnotbeusedtoexpressorimplywarrantyastothe
fitness of the property for a particular purpose. No portion of this report may be used as a separate
entity,itiswrittentobereadinitsentirety.
Theconclusionsandrecommendationsgiveninthisreportarebasedoninformationdeterminedatthe
testholelocations.Theinformationcontainedhereininnowayreflectsontheenvironmentaspectsof

PreliminaryGeotechnicalInvestigationat212DavisDrive,Newmarket,ON
SPLProjectNo.:10000252100
April16,2014

Drawings

193.50m
EXISTING WATER MAIN TO BE RE-USED
UNDER NEW EASEMENT

9582

72200

RETAINING WALL

BIKE
ROOM
(DISCUSS)
+/- 43 BIKES

26.5m
RAMP

WATER
ROOM

FOUNDATION IS RETAINING WALL

NOT SURE
ABOUT DOOR

E
M
PROPOSED - APARTMENT BUILDING
65583
224 SUITES
15 STOREY-

MECH.
ELEC.
ROOM

3660

R244
00

6.7m FIRE ROUTE

3m LANDSCAPE BUFFER

FUTURE ROAD CONNECTION

LOSS OF 3 PARKING STALLS

BH13-7

0
R1200

PARKING ON
GRADE - 26
FIRE ROUTE

PROPERTY LINE

15
.0m
FI
ER
SH
OS
HA
IO
BI
N
TA
BU
T
LT
SE
FF
ST
ER
TB
OS
AC
K

20
0

15.00m
R1
43
50

674
0

7345

STOP

9000

6700
5500

15

R7
50
0

server\Geotech\10 GeoProjects\10000252- 212 Davis Drive, New Market (ref.1477-100)\Drawings\10000252-BH Location Plan-April16-2014.dwg

BH13-4

R1

T
4

0
65
R8

LINE OF DECK ABOVE

4000

72
45

4000

22096
22901500

DROP
OFF

24

STOP

P1 COVERED PARKING - 95 STALLS

4000

24
87

EDGE OF
WATER

R
R7 1200
0
65
0

5500

STOP

19

3000

61
00

1600

9000

37600

4500

LOADING

RAISED SIDEWALK

MOVE
IN
ROOM

3785

19

3% SLOPE

5500

DAVIS DR

GARBAGE
ROOM

BH13-1

SA

SIAMESE
CONNECTION

MAIN
ENT.

ELEVATOR

ELEVATED
PATIOS
PARTY ROOM
AMENITY

49.85m

BH13-2

SECONDARY
ENTRANCE

14900

9000

8300

OPEN AIR PARKING

STRUCTURE

6700

LOWER
PARKING
AREA

BH13-3

4570

ASSUMED FFE
251.95

9403

24

??%
SLOPE

5500

TOTAL ROOMS = 225

WT
6988

3.0m LANDSCAPE BUFFER

ASSUMED
???

AREA FOR GRADING

ALT. AREA FOR ROAD CONNECTION

4.50m

PROPERTY LINE

PEDESTRIAN
WALKWAY

ASSUMED
252.2

SHARED ACCESS
EASEMENT

LEGEND

Client:
Drawn:

BH13-1

Boreholes drilled by SPL in 2013

Date:
Original
Size:

Green & Rose Developments Inc.

ZMO
April 16, 2014

Tabloid

Approved:
Scale:
Rev:

AS
As Shown
N/A

Project No.:

10000252-100

Borehole Location Plan

Title:
Project:

Drawing No.:

Preliminary Geotechnical Investigation - 212 Davis Drive,

Newmarket, Ontario

SPL
Consultants Limited
Geotechnical Environmental Materials Hydrogeology
*