Foundation Engineering ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alaa Shaban, PhD

Determining Side-Friction Resistance of Pile Foundations

The procedure to determine side-friction resistance of pile foundations in coarse- and fine-
grained soils is described in the following subsections:
1) Frictional Resistance in Sands
Meyerhof (1976) stated that the average frictional resistance for pile foundation can be
estimated as a function of standard penetration numbers obtained from performing the in-situ
SPT test:

▪ For Large Displacement Piles

̅ 60 )
fs(ave) = 0.02pa (N (1)
▪ For Low Displacement Piles
̅ 60 )
fs(ave) = 0.01pa (N (2)
where:
𝑓𝑠(𝑎𝑣𝑒) : Average unit frictional resistance
̅ 60 :
N Average value of the standard penetration number
𝑝𝑎 : Atmospheric pressure (i.e., 100 kN/m2)

Briaud et al. (1985) proposed the following formula to determine the average frictional
resistance for pile foundations:
̅ 60 )0.29
fs(ave) ≈ 0.224pa (N (3)

EX-1:
Consider a precast concrete pile which is 300 × 300 mm in cross section. The pile is driven 15
m in sand soils. The variations of the standard penetration resistance in sans soil with depth are
listed in the following table:

Depth (m) 1.5 3.0 4.5 6.0 7.5 9.0 10.5 12 13.5 15

N60 8 10 9 12 14 18 11 17 20 28

Compute the unit side friction resistance of the pile using:

a) Meyerhof Formula
b) Briaud Formula

Solution:
8 + 10 + 9 + 12 + 14 + 18 + 11 + 17 + 20 + 28
N60(ave) = = 14.7 ≈ 15
10

1
Foundation Engineering ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alaa Shaban, PhD

̅ 60 ) = 0.02 × 100 × 15 = 30 kN⁄m2

a) fs(ave) = 0.02pa (N

Qs = fs(ave) A𝑠 = 30 × (0.3 × 4 × 15) = 540 kN

̅ 60 )0.29 = 0.224 × 100 × (15)0.29 = 49.13 kN⁄m2

b) fs(ave) = 0.224pa (N

Qs = fs(ave) A𝑠 = 49.13 × (0.3 × 4 × 15) = 884.3 kN

2) Frictional Resistance in Clays

a) 𝜶 -Method
The alpha method is an analytical technique developed to predict side-friction resistance of
clays based on undrained shear strength. The equation of alpha method is given as:

fs = α(Su ) (1)
where;
fs : Unit side-friction resistance
Adhesion factor. This empirical factor is based on undrained shear strength
α:
of the soil as shown in Table 1.
Su : Undrained shear strength of the soils

Table 1: Typical Values of Adhesion Factor

𝒔𝒖
≤0.1 0.2 0.3 04 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.4 2.8
𝒑𝒂
𝜶 1.00 0.92 0.82 0.74 0.62 0.54 0.48 0.42 0.40 0.38 0.36 0.35 0.34 0.34

b) 𝜷 -Method
This method indicated that the unit skin resistance in clays can be determined on the basis of
the effective stress parameters of the clay in remolded state (i.e., 𝑐́ = 0)

fs = K tan ϕ́R 𝜎́ 𝑜 (2)

where:
fs : Unit side-friction resistance
β: K tan ϕ́R
ϕ́R : Drained friction angle of remolded clay
K: K: Earth pressure coefficient

The magnitude of coefficient of lateral earth pressure can be estimated as follows:

K = 1 − sin ϕ́R Normally Consolidated Clays

K = (1 − sin ϕ́R )√𝑂𝐶𝑅 Over-consolidated clays

2
Foundation Engineering ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alaa Shaban, PhD

EX-2:
A 400 mm circular precast concrete pile is driven in a saturated clay as shown in the figure
below. Calculate the unit-side friction of the pile using a) 𝛼 -Method, and b) 𝛽 -Method.

Solution:
a) 𝛼 -Method
fs = α(Su )

Layer Depth (m) Su (kN/m2) 𝜶 (Table 1) 𝐟𝐬 (kN/m2) 𝐐𝐬 = 𝐟𝐬(𝐚𝐯𝐞) 𝐀𝒔 (kN)

0–5 5 30 0.82 24.6 154.56
5 – 10 5 30 0.82 24.6 154.56
10 – 30 20 100 0.48 48.0 1206.37
∑ = 97.2 ∑ = 1515.49

b) 𝛽 -Method
fs = β(𝜎́𝑜 )

Layer Depth (m) 𝝈́ 𝒐 (kN/m2) 𝐊 𝛃 = 𝐊 𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝛟́𝐑 𝐟𝐬 (kN/m2) 𝐐𝐬 = 𝐟𝐬(𝐚𝐯𝐞) 𝐀𝒔 (kN)

0–5 NC: 5 0 - 90 0.50 0.289 13.01 81.74
5 – 10 NC: 5 90 – 130.95 0.50 0.289 31.93 200.56
10 – 30 OC: 20 130.95 – 326.75 0.71 0.408 93.43 2348.15

∑ = 138.37 ∑ = 2630.45