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Skemptons Nc Values
if undrained shear
strength parameters
are used for the
design then a special
case arises:
since fu = 0, Nq = 1
and:
q f cu N c D
values of Nc are
acquired from
Skemptons Chart
B Z
N c 5.14(1 0.2 )(1 (0.053 )1/ 2
L B Craig, 6th Ed.

Allowable Bearing Capacity Based on

Tolerable Settlement
Tolerable Immediate or undrained settlement Si
Si E
qall D
B(1 2 ) I P
Tolerable Consolidation settlement Sc

Where,
mv is coefficient of volume compressibility,
H is thickness of compressible layer beneath foundation or 2B, whichever is
least,
I, IP is stress coefficient and influence factor
1
= = =
1 + 2
(1+)(12)
= Effective Drained parameter
1
1.5
= undrained parameter
1+

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Allowable Bearing Capacity Baes on

Tolerable Settlement

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Allowable Bearing Capacity Baes on

Tolerable Settlement

Allowable Bearing Capacity Baes on

Tolerable Settlement

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Plate Bearing Test

In this test the sand is loaded through a steel plate at
least 300 mm square.
Readings of load and settlement being observed up to
failure or to at least 1.5 times the estimated allowable
bearing capacity.
The load increments should be approximately one-fifth
of the estimated allowable bearing capacity.
The test plate is generally located at foundation level in
a pit at least 1.5 m square.
The test is reliable only if the sand is reasonably
uniform over the significant depth of the full-scale
foundation.

Plate Bearing Test

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Plate Bearing Test

Settlement in a sand increases as the size of

the loaded area increases and the main
problem with the use of plate bearing tests is
the extrapolation of the settlement of a test
plate to that of a full-scale foundation.

Plate Bearing Test

The required correlation appears to depend

on the density index, particle size distribution
and stress history of the sand, and at present
there is no reliable method.

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Plate Bearing Test

Ideally, plate bearing tests should be carried

out at different depths and using plates of
different sizes in order that extrapolations
may be made, but this is generally ruled out
on economic grounds

PILES
deep over-
burden more
than 8 - 9 m
thick
Various types and
placement
methods

Craig, 6th Ed.

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Deep Foundation Types

2) Drilled Shafts
B = 2-30 ft (0.6-9 m)
L < 300 ft (91 m)
Large Lateral Load Resistance

Bearing Capacity (Single Pile)

The bearing resistance of a pile can be determined
by either analytical or semi-empirical methods, it
being desirable to calibrate the results obtained Qf
against those from in-situ load tests.
The ultimate bearing capacity is equal to the sum
of the (ultimate) base and shaft resistances.
The base resistance is the product of the base area
(Ab) and the pressure (qb) which would cause shear
failure of the supporting soil immediately below
and adjacent to the base of the pile. Qs
The shaft resistance is the product of the perimeter
area of the shaft (As) and the average value of
ultimate shearing resistance per unit area (qs) ,
generally referred to as the skin friction, between
the pile and the soil.
Qb
= + W
Where, = 0.25 2 ( )

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Bearing Capacity (Single Pile)

Qs = shaft friction or side shear Qf

Qb = end bearing

If Qs >0.8Qb then friction pile

If Qb = 0 (design assumption)
Qs
then floating pile

Qb

Piles in sands
The ultimate bearing capacity and settlement of a pile depend
mainly on the density index of the sand. However, if a pile is
driven into sand the density index adjoining the pile is
increased by compaction due to soil displacement (except in
dense sands, which may be loosened). The soil characteristics
governing ultimate bearing capacity and settlement,
therefore, are different from the original characteristics prior
to driving.
This fact, in addition to the heterogeneous nature of sand
deposits, makes the prediction of pile behavior by analytical
methods extremely difficult. The ultimate bearing capacity at
base level can be expressed as
=

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Piles in sands

Piles in sands

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Piles in clay
In the case of driven piles, the clay adjacent to the pile is
displaced both laterally and vertically. Upward displacement of
the clay results in heaving of the ground surface around the pile
and can cause a reduction in the bearing capacity of adjacent
piles already installed. The clay in the disturbed zone around the
pile is completely remoulded during driving.
In the case of bored piles, a thin layer of clay (of the order of 25
mm) immediately adjoining the shaft will be remoulded during
boring. In addition, a gradual softening of the clay will take place
adjacent to the shaft due to stress release, pore water seeping
from the surrounding clay towards the shaft. Water can also be
absorbed from the wet concrete when it comes into contact with
the clay. Softening is accompanied by a reduction in shear
strength and a reduction in skin friction. Construction of a bored
pile, therefore, should be completed as quickly as possible.

Piles in clay

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Piles in clay

Piles in clay

For all other cases:

= 1 sind tand
d is the remoulded drained angle of shearing resistance

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Negative Skin Friction

Negative skin friction can occur on the perimeter of a pile
driven through a layer of clay undergoing consolidation (e.g.
due to a fill recently placed over the clay) into a firm bearing
stratum. The consolidating layer exerts a downward drag on
the pile and, therefore, the direction of skin friction in this
layer is reversed. The force due to this downward or negative
skin friction is thus carried by the pile instead of helping to
support the external load on the pile.
Equation 8.35 can also be used to represent negative skin
friction. In normally consolidated clays, present evidence
indicates that a value of of 0.25 represents a reasonable
upper limit to negative skin friction for preliminary design
purposes.

Pile Groups

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Pile Groups
A pile foundation may consist of a group of piles installed
fairly close together (typically 2B4B where B is the width or
diameter of a single pile) and joined by a slab, known as the
pile cap, cast on top of the piles. The cap is usually in contact
with the soil, in which case part of the structural load is
carried directly on the soil immediately below the surface. If
the cap is clear of the ground surface, the piles in the group
are referred to as freestanding. The principles described in
this section also apply to piled rafts. In stiff clays, piles at
spacing of 4B or greater may be installed under a raft for the
prime purpose of reducing settlement.

Pile Groups
In general, the ultimate load which can be supported by a group of n piles
is not equal to n times the ultimate load of a single isolated pile of the
same dimensions in the same soil. The ratio of the average load per pile in
a group at failure to the ultimate load for a single pile is defined as the
efficiency of the group. It is generally assumed that the distribution of load
between the piles in an axially loaded group is uniform. However,
experimental evidence indicates that for a group in sand the piles at the
centre of the group carry greater loads than those on the perimeter; in
clay, on the other hand, the piles on the perimeter of the group carry
greater loads than those at the centre. It can generally be assumed that all
piles in a group will settle by the same amount, due to the rigidity of the
pile cap. The settlement of a pile group is always greater than the
settlement of a corresponding single pile, as a result of the overlapping of
the individual zones of influence of the piles in the group.

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Pile Groups

Pile Groups

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