ECE 5413 SHALLOW & DEEP FOUNDATION DESIGN

TOPIC 9
LOAD TRANSFER AND LIMIT STATE

0. Objective

ASD: LRFD:

1. Conventional Static Pile Load Test

1.1. Test Setup

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1.2. Interpretation of Test Results

• Modulus of Elasticity

a) Steel:

𝐸𝐸𝑠𝑠 = 200 GPa or 29,000,000 psi

b) Concrete:

𝐸𝐸𝑐𝑐 = 4700�𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐′ (SI) or 𝐸𝐸𝑐𝑐 = 57000�𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐′ (English)

c) Reinforced concrete or concrete filled steel pipe:

𝐸𝐸 = 𝐸𝐸𝑐𝑐 (1 − 𝜌𝜌) + 𝐸𝐸𝑠𝑠 𝜌𝜌

d) Timber: varies between 7 GPa – 10 GPa (Species dependent)

• Load Capacity

a) Davisson Method

The nominal axial load capacity is defined at the intersection point of the load-

settlement curve from static test and the following straight line,

S=4 mm + B/120 + PD/(AE)

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Example 1: The load-settlement curve shown below is obtained from a static load test on a 400

mm diameter, 17 m long drilled shaft with 𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐′ = 40 MPa and 𝜌𝜌 = 0.055. Use Davisson method

to compute the nominal axial downward load capacity.

b) Brinch Hansen Method

Brinch Hansen (1963) proposed a parabolic relationship for stress-strain properties of

soil near failure. He noted that the strain in soil at failure is four times the strain that

corresponds to a stress equal to 80% of failure, and twice the strain that corresponds to

a stress equal to 90% of failure. (Based on cohesive soils)

Others have since extrapolated this concept to the interpretation of static load tests, and

thus producing the Brinch Hansen 80% criterion and Brinch Hansen 90% criterion.

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Example 2: A 16 in diameter, 77.5 ft long auger pile has been designed using ASD to support a

downward load of 350 kips. A prototype pile was constructed using concrete with 𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐′ =

5,000 lb/in2 and a steel ratio of 𝜌𝜌 = 2%. The static load results are shown in the figure below.

Intercept the results using both Davisson and Britch Hansen 90% methods.

𝑃𝑃, kips 𝛿𝛿, in 0.9𝑃𝑃, kips 𝛿𝛿 at 0.9𝑃𝑃 𝛿𝛿 Ratio

745 1.62
746 1.64
747 1.67
748 1.69
749 1.72
750 1.75
751 1.78
752 1.81
753 1.84
754 1.87
755 1.90
756 1.94
757 1.98
758 2.02
759 2.06
760 2.10
761 2.15

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2. Instrumented Static Pile Load Test

2.1. Strain Gages

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Example 3: A strain gage was embedded in the auger pile as in Example 2. This gage was located

5 ft above the toe, and the test results are shown in the following figure. Using this data, and the

Brinch Hansen 90% load capacity, compute the average 𝑓𝑓𝑛𝑛 and 𝑞𝑞𝑛𝑛′ for this pile.

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2.2. Telltale Rods

Example 4: Two telltale rods have been installed in a 45 ft long closed-end PP20×0.75 pile. This

pile was subjected to a static load test, which produces the following results:

Test load at failure: 250 kips

Settlement reading at failure:

At pile head (gage #1) 0.570 in

Telltale anchored at 20 ft depth (gage #2) 0.530 in

Telltale anchored at 45 ft depth (gage #2) 0.503 in

Compute the force in the pile at 20 and 45 ft, and compute the average 𝑓𝑓𝑛𝑛 values on the pile and

the 𝑞𝑞𝑛𝑛′ value.

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2.3. Osterberg Load Test (O-Cell Test)

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