Pile Foundation

Reason for Piles

Types of Piles
Capacity Prediction Methods
Load Tests
Reasons for Piles
Large Structural Loads
Settlement Intolerant Structures
Addition to Pile Supported Structure
Low Strength Soils at or near Ground
Surface
Reasons for Piles
Piles transfer loads:
 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
Capacity Prediction Methods
Static
Dynamic Formulae
Wave Equation Analysis of Piles (WEAP)
Dynamic Measurement and Analysis
Static Capacity Prediction
Estimates probable capacity range for a
given length of pile, or probable length
for a given capacity
Requires exploratory borings to about
10 – 15 feet below deepest anticipated
penetration
 Groundwater, qu, SPT
Static Capacity Methods
B – Nt Method
 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
Static Capacity Methods
Qu = Qp + Qs
 Qu = Ultimate capacity of pile
 Qp = point capacity
 Qs = frictional resistance along shaft
Point Capacity in Sands
Qp = Ap qp = Ap q’ N*q < Ap ql

 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
Point Capacity in Sands
For homogeneous sands (L = Lb)

 qp (kN/m2) = 40 Ncorr L/D < 400 Ncorr

Point Capacity in Clays
For undrained, saturated clays (f = 0)

 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
Frictional Resistance in Sands
f = K s’o tan d
 K = earth pressure coefficient and varies
with depth and pile type
 K ~ 1.0 to 1.8 (1 – sin f)
 s’o increases with depth to about L = 15D
 d ~ 0.5 to 0.8 f
 fav (kN/m2) = 1 to 2 Ncorr
Frictional Resistance in Clays
l Method
 fav = l (s’o + 2 cu)
 l varies with depth of penetration (F13.12)

Qs = p L fav
Frictional Resistance in Clays
a Method
 f = a cu

 a = empirical adhesion factor (F13.14)

Qs = S f p DL = S a cu p DL
Static Capacity Examples
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
WEAP Input Parameters
Pile Properties
 Dimension (known)
 Material properties (known)
Efficiency of driving assembly
(assumed)
Resistance distribution (assumed)
Shaft and toe: quake and damping
(assumed)
Dynamic Measurement and
Analysis
Performed in Field with a Pile Driver
Analyzer (PDA)
At pile head, strain measured to
determine force, acceleration measured
to determine velocity
Provides estimate of toe resistance,
magnitude & distribution of shaft
resistance, ultimate capacity
Dynamic measurement and
Analysis
CAse Pile Wave Analysis Program
(CAPWAP)
 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
Load Test Readings
Applied axial compressive load
Head deflection
Deflection of reaction piles
Deflection of pile at depth
Strain in pile section at depth
Load Test Instrumentation
Telltales
 Measures pile head movement relative to
specific location in pile
 Backcalculate average load in pile above
telltale based on known elastic modulus
Load Test Instrumentation
Strain Gauges
 Vibrating-wire strain gauge most common
 Measured strain used to calculate load at
specific depths
 Estimate load distribution in pile shaft