Piles in Cohesive Soils

Piles in Cohesive Soils

Base Resistance
i.e. Nq=0

Note:
Nc = 9; As proposed by
Skempton (1951) for Df/B > 4

Skin Friction
Values of a

Ref: Principals of Foundation

Engineering by
Braja M Das
a~ Cu by Dennis & Olson based on
Tomlinson information
 a ~ Cu by various authors

Back calculations of pile load test

results by Irham & K. Farooq, 2016
 b Method

As per Burland (1973); b

is
 b Method
• For clays f’ may be taken between 20 ~
30 deg. In such a case value of b varies
from 0.24 ~ 0.29.
 Class Problem # 1
• A concrete pile 18 inches in diameter and
50 ft long is driven to a homogenous mass
of clay of medium consistency. GWT is at
the ground surface. Undraied cohesion is
1050 psf and a= 0.75. Compute Qu and
Qa for FS = 2.5
 Class Problem # 2
• A precast concrete pile of size 18x18
inches is driven into stiff clay. The
unconfined compressive strength of clay is
4.2 ksf. Determine the length of the pile
required to carry a safe working load of 90
kips with FS=2.5. a= 0.48
Prob: A concrete pile 45 cm is driven through a system of layered cohesive soil as shown
in figure. The length of pile is 16 m. Estimate Qu and Qa with FS=2.5
 Class Problem
) #4
• To calculate a Layer 1
10 ft
15 ft W/T Cu = 20 kPa
=110 pcf
sat= 120 pcf

Layer 2 25 ft
Cu = 40 kPa
sat =125 pcf

Layer 3
25 ft
Cu = 60 kPa
sat =130 pcf
15 ft
 Uplift Capacity of Pile
• Piles are called tension piles, anchor piles
or uplift piles.
• Ultimate pull out capacity of the piles can
be estimated in a similar manner to
ultimate compression capacity
• The only difference is that end bearing is
ignored except for belled shaped piles
 Uplift capacity of Pile Pu

• Uplift capacity of the pile can be

estimated in a similar manner to
ultimate compressive capacity Wp
Qfp Qfp
• The only difference is end
bearing is ignored except for bell
shaped piles.
Pu = Qfp + Wp
Pu – ultimate pull out capacity
Qfp – ultimate shaft resistance in pull out
Wp – weight of pile
 Uplift Capacity of Pile in sands
• Poulos and Davis (1980) suggested that
skin friction incase of upward loading may
be taken as two-third (2/3) of the
calculated shaft resistance for downward
loading.
• A FS=3 is normally assumed for
calculating uplift load
2 1
Q fp = [ po k s tan  ] As Pu = [Q fp ]  W p
3 FS
 Shaft Resistance in Clay
• For piles in cohesive soils, ultimate skin
friction is
• Cu- Undrained shear strength
Q f = Cu As a- adhesion factor
Wp- weight of pile
As- shaft area
1
Pu = [Cu As ]  W p
FS
 Class Problem
• A RCC pile 30 ft long 1.25 ft diameter is
embedded in clay of very stiff consistency.
Laboratory result on UDS samples gave
an average value of Cu= 2500 psf.
Determine the net pullout capacity and
allowable pullout load with FS=3. a=0.4
 Class Problem
• A RCC pile 30 ft long 1.25 ft diameter is
embedded in medium dense sandy soil.
Angle of internal friction is 38 and
coefficient of lateral earth pressure is 1.5.
Determine the net pullout capacity and
allowable pullout load with FS=3. Unit
weight is 110 pcf.
 Pile capacity based on SPT-N

• Meyerhof proposed the relation for driven piles

in sand
Base Resistance q = 40 N Db  400 N (kN / m 2 )
b
D
Qb = qb Ab

N- Avg. SPT-N value near the pile base 10 D

above and 4 D below the pile base
Db- length of pile embedded in sand
D- diameter of pile
 Pile capacity based on SPT-N

• Skin Friction f s = 2 N (kN / m 2 ) Qs = f s As

N- Avg. SPT-N along pile embedded length

For bored pile qb and qs are approximately
1/3 and ½ respectively of corresponding
values for driven piles.
Qu(b)= Qb(driven)/3+ Qs(driven)/2
Solve Ex 11.3 Principal of Foundation Engg
by Braja M Das
 Problem

• A precast concrete pile having size 0.45 m

x 0.45 m in section is to form part of a jetty
structure is to be driven into a river bed
which consist of sand deposits. The result
of SPT test in sand with depth are as
follows
D (m) 1.5 3.0 4.5 6.0 7.5 9.0 10.5
SPT-N 4 6 13 12 20 24 35
 Problem

• The pile is to support a design

compressive load of 650 kN and to
withstand a design uplift load of 140 kN.
Determine the length of the pile to which
pile must be driven. Assume frictional
resistance in upward direction is equal to
total downward direction. Use FS=2 for
compression and tension
 Pile capacity based on CPT

• qc at pile tip = 3D above the base and 1D

below the base NSL

• Average qc (tip) = qb
• Base resistance, Qb= qcx Ab
qc
• Unit Shaft resistance, fs= qc/2
• Shaft Resistance, Qs=qc/2x As
3D above pile tip

1D below pile tip

 Pile capacity based on CPT

• A concrete pile 40 cm in diameter is driven

to a homogenous mass of cohesion-less
soil. The pile carries 650 kN. A static CPT
conducted at the site indicates cone
resistance along the shaft is 40 kg/cm2
while cone resistance of 120 kg/cm2 at the
base. Compute length of pile with factor of
safety 2.
 Underreamed Piles

• A 60 ft long drilled shaft is to be built using

open hole method as shown in the figure.
The shaft dimension is 24 inches. The
bottom is belled to 60 inches. Compute
allowable downward load capacity.