Pile Foundation: Reason For Piles Types of Piles Capacity Prediction Methods Load Tests
Pile Foundation: Reason For Piles Types of Piles Capacity Prediction Methods Load Tests
Reason for Piles Types of Piles Capacity Prediction Methods Load Tests
To suitable bearing strata through toe resistance (end-bearing piles) To strata in which pile is embedded through shaft resistance (friction pile) Through a combination of both shaft and toe resistance (most common)
Types of Piles
Timber
OK for capacities less than approx 25 tons OK for length less than 60 ft Protect from rotting above groundwater table
Types of Piles
Concrete
Appropriate where homogeneous soil conditions allow driving to a specific length Not appropriate in the upper Midwest due to variable soil conditions (variable length)
Types of Piles
H-Piles
Good choice when driving to bedrock or deep penetrations Limited uplift capacity
Types of Piles
Pipe Piles
Higher capacity per unit length that H-piles May not drive as deep as H-piles
Inputs include qu, SPT N values, location of groundwater, unit weights Overburden stress major controlling factor, soil strength next Takes soil/pile set-up into account Variations of + 25% should be expected
Ap = area of pile tip q = effective vertical stress at tip N*q = bearing capacity factor (F13.9) ql = limiting point resistance ql (kN/m2) = 50 N*q tan f
qp = 9 cu Ap
Frictional Resistance
Qs = S p DL f
p = perimeter of pile section DL = incremental length of constant p & f f = unit frictional resistance at depth d
K = earth pressure coefficient and varies with depth and pile type K ~ 1.0 to 1.8 (1 sin f) so increases with depth to about L = 15D d ~ 0.5 to 0.8 f fav (kN/m2) = 1 to 2 Ncorr
Qs = p L fav
f = a cu
a = empirical adhesion factor (F13.14)
Qs = S f p DL = S a cu p DL
Dynamic Formulae
Theoretically unjustifiable, purge from practice ENR Method is a common example
WEAP Analysis
Predicts dynamic behavior of pile driving by modeling driving assembly/pile/soil system Estimates penetration resistance required for a given end-of-initial-drive (EOID) in the form of a graph
WEAP Analysis
Provides estimate of probable capacity at EOID When set-up is considered, provides embedment-dependent penetration resistance criteria Provides design- and/or construction-phase flexibility w.r.t. selection of hammer/pile combinations May allow use of lower FS
Efficiency of driving assembly (assumed) Resistance distribution (assumed) Shaft and toe: quake and damping (assumed)
Performed on PDA measurements Selects appropriate WEAP inputs to match predictions with measurements Can be very cost-effective May allow for lower FS
Load Tests
Provides a proof test for design assumptions Most valuable if pile fails (plunges) Wait at least 30 days after EOID to allow for set-up Load Pile to 250% of design load
Measures pile head movement relative to specific location in pile Backcalculate average load in pile above telltale based on known elastic modulus
Vibrating-wire strain gauge most common Measured strain used to calculate load at specific depths Estimate load distribution in pile shaft