Pile Foundation (II)

By Professor : Hossam Eldin A Ali

Ain Shams University
 Lecture 2

➢ Pile capacity
➢ Static Formulae
➢ Dynamic Formulae
Introduction
Pile Capacity

What are the various capacities of pile commonly used in practice?

➢ Axial capacity
➢ Lateral capacity
➢ Pullout capacity or Tension capacity
Pile Axial Capacity

Factors influencing pile capacities

➢ The surrounding soil
➢ installation technique like driven or bored piling
➢ Method of construction (precast or cast-in-situ)
➢ Spacing and Location of piles in a group
➢ Symmetry of the group
➢ Location of pile cap i.e. above or below soil
➢ Shape of the pile cap, etc.
➢ Drainage conditions in soil

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Pile Capacities – Approaches

Field Approach
In this approach the pile is loaded to the desired level and its capacity is estimated. This approach gives
more realistic estimate of pile capacity. However, it is time consuming and costly.

A Test pile of required dimensions is constructed in the field and a load test is conducted to assess the
capacity of the pile.

Theoretical Approach
In this approach the pile capacity is calculated using some formulae into which soil data is fed for obtaining
the capacity.
Data required
➢ Soil parameters like cohesion Cu, angle of internal friction ø, adhesion factor between soil and pile material, etc.
➢ SPT Values ( N values).
➢ Average cone resistance in case of CPT,
➢ Pressuremeter tests
➢ etc.

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Pile Design Steps

Design of pile foundation involves the following steps

1) Calculating the ultimate and then safe carrying capacity of pile of given material
for a given soil data using the theoretical methods or obtaining the above-
mentioned capacity from field test.
2) Arriving at the number of piles required for a given loading from the structure by
considering the group effects on piles.
3) Designing the pile cap, which is usually considered as rigid member in a pile group.
4) Calculating the distribution of forces, from the superstructure, on the piles and
ensuring that the force on any pile in a group does not exceed its safe carrying
capacity.
5) Finally carrying out settlement analysis to ensure that the settlements are within the
limits
Pile Axial Capacity

The fundamental equation for axial capacity of pile is:

QU = Qb + Q s
Where:
QU = Ultimate Load carrying capacity of pile
Qb = End bearing resistance= qb Ab
Qs = Skin friction resistance= fs As
qb= Ultimate unit bearing capacity at base
Ab= Bearing area of the pile base
fs= Unit skin friction
As= Surface area of the portion of pile embedded in soil.
Pile Capacity

SHAFT RESISTANCE
Pile Capacities – Approaches
Shaft Resistance

Qs= fs As

For determining fs three methods are commonly used

and they are called the α-method, β-method and λ-
method
➢ The α-Method uses the undrained shear strength of cohesive soils,
➢ the β-Method uses the soil friction angle of cohesionless soils, and
➢ the λ- is a variation of the Beta Method typically used in the offshore industry
for very long Driven piles in undersea cohesive soils.

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Pile Capacity
Shaft Resistance
CU/PA α

α-method ≤ 0.1 1.0

0.2 0.92
fs = α x Cu 0.3 0.82

0.4 0.74

0.6 0.62

0.8 0.54

1.0 0.48

1.2 0.42

1.4 0.40

1.6 0.38

1.8 0.36

2.0 0.35

2.4 0.34

2.8 0.34

pa = atmospheric pressure ≈ 100 kN/m2

Pile Capacity - Example
Shaft Resistance

α-method
Pile Capacity
Shaft Resistance

β-method for coarse grained soils

Pile Capacity
Shaft Resistance
Pile Capacity
Shaft Resistance
Pile Capacity
Shaft Resistance
Pile Capacity
Shaft Resistance
Pile Capacity- Critical Depth
Shaft Resistance

The following approximations were assumed for the critical depth:

➢ critical depth for loose sand = 10 d
➢ critical depth for medium dense sand = 15 d
➢ critical depth for dense sand = 20 d

(d or B) is the pile diameter or the width

Pile Capacity
Shaft Resistance

L (M) λ
λ-method for fine grained soils 0 0.5
5 0.336
10 0.245
15 0.200
20 0.173
25 0.150
Mean effective vertical stress for the entire embedment length 30 0.136
35 0.132
Cu : Mean undrained shear strength 40 0.127
50 0.118
60 0.113
70 0.110
80 0.110

Variation of λ with pile embedment length (L)

Pile Capacity

End Bearing
Pile Capacities – Approaches
End Bearing Resistance

Qb= qb Ab
Where
qb = unit point bearing capacity (similar to bearing capacity of shallow foundation)
= c’Nc*+ q’Nq*+ γD Nγ*

c’ = Effective cohesion of the soil supporting pile tip

q’ = Effective vertical stress at the level of pile tip
D = Width of the pile
γ = Unit weight of the soil

Nc, Nq, Nγ are the Bearing capacity factors that include shape and depth factors
Pile Capacity
End Bearing –Cohesive soils
Pile Capacity End Bearing Capacity
End Bearing Resistance

Parameters that affect the End Bearing Capacity

➢ Effective stress at pile tip

➢ Friction angle at pile tip and below (Ø0)
➢ The dilation angle of soil
➢ Shear modulus (G)
➢ Poisson’s ratio (n)
Pile Capacity End Bearing Capacity
End Bearing Resistance

Variation of Nq with L/D & φ’ (after Coyle & Castello, 1981)

Pile Capacity
End Bearing Resistance
Single Pile Axial Capacity using
Insitu tests
Insitu Tests
Insitu Tests
CPT
SPT
Estimation of Pile Capacity from SPT
Pile Axial Capacity Based on SPT Measurements

Ultimate Pile axial capacity

Ultimate shaft resistance

‫ح‬ CIRIA Report 143, 1995

Based on SPT

• Ultimate End bearing resistance

CIRIA Report 143, 1995

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Based on SPT according to ECP

α = 2.5
K = 180

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Estimation of Pile Capacity from CPT
Pile Axial Capacity Based on CPT Measurements

Ultimate shaft resistance

Among several approaches we will consider two methods for

estimating the magnitude of Qult using the cone penetration
resistance qc:

1. The LCPC method, developed by Laboratoire Central des

Ponts at Chaussees (Bustamante and Gianeselli, 1982);

2. Egyptian Code for deep foundation

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Pile Axial Capacity Based on CPT Measurements

• Ultimate shaft resistance

 Pile Axial Capacity Based on CPT Measurements

• Ultimate end bearing resistance

The equivalent average cone resistance, qca, at the

base of the pile, is the mean qc value measured along
two fixed distances, at above (-a) and below (+a) the
pile tip.

(a = 1.5D, where D is the pile diameter)

CIRIA Report 143, 1995

 Pile Axial Capacity Based on CPT Measurements

• Ultimate end bearing resistance

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 Based on CPT based on ECP

6D

αLCPC ≈ 200
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Kc ≈ 0.7 for driven piles and 0.35 for bored piles
Pile Axial Capacity using Dynamic
Formulae
Piles Driving (dynamic) Formulae

Several formulae have been developed to calculate the

ultimate capacity of the pile during driving.

They are based on Energy Approach and are

independent of the soil into which pile is driven. Qu= (η WR h)*(WR+ n2WP) / (S+C)*(WR+WP)

Some of the formulae are given below. Where,

Qu = Ultimate capacity of the pile
The famous of these formulae is Engineer’s news WR = Weight of the ram
Record (ENR) formula. h = height of fall of the ram
Wp = Weight of the pile
The modified form of ENR formula is shown to the right C = a constant
S or d = Penetration of pile per hammer blow
n = Coefficient of restitution between ram
and pile cap
η = Efficiency of the hammer
Piles Driving (dynamic) Formulae

Danish Formulae

𝑒ℎ 𝑤𝑟 ℎ 𝑒ℎ 𝑤𝑟 ℎ𝐿 0.5
Q𝑢 = C1 =
𝑠+𝐶1 2𝐴𝐸𝑐

Q Ultimate capacity of pie

C1 Elastic set of piles
eh hammer efficiency
L Length of pile
S Permanent pile displacement –[average
penetration of pile per hammer blow ]
A Area of the pile cross section
Ec Elastic modulus of pile material
Allowable Bearing Capacity
Allowable Pile Capacity
Pile Capacity

Pile Load Test

Piles Testing
Pile Load Test

Pile load tests are usually carried out for the following main
reasons:

➢ To obtain back figured soil data that will enable other piles to be
designed
➢ To confirm pile lengths and hence contract costs before the client is
committed to over all job costs
➢ To counter check results from geotechnical and pile driving formulae
➢ To determine the load-settlement behavior of the pile, especially in the
region of anticipated working load, that the data can be used for
prediction of group settlement.
➢ To verify the structural soundness of the pile.
Pile Testing

Load Tests On a Single Pile

The load tests are categorized as:

Stress tests
➢ Maintained load test ( Static vertical load test)
➢ Constant rate of penetration test
➢ Lateral load test
➢ Dynamic load test
➢ Cyclic load test

Strain tests
➢ Low strain integrity testing
➢ High strain integrity testing.
 Pile Testing
High Strain Dynamic Testing

Dynamic pile testing is fast and effective method

for assessing bearing capacity of the foundation
that requires instrumenting deep foundations with
accelerometers and strain transducers and
analyzing the data collected by these transducers.

The Procedure is standardized by ASTM D4945

(Standard test method for high strain dynamic
testing of piles.

The testing in addition to bearing capacity gives

shaft resistance and point bearing resistance
distribution and also evaluates the shape and
integrity (please refer pile integrity in this
presentation for more details) of the foundation
 Pile Testing
High Strain Dynamic Testing

Dynamic pile testing used to record, digitize, and

processes the force and acceleration signals
measured at the pile head. These signals were
used to estimate static capacity using the Case
Method, a simplified field procedure for estimating
pile capacity,.

CAPWAP is an iterative curve-fitting technique

where the pile response determined in a wave
equation model is matched to the measured
response of the actual pile for a single hammer
blow.
Pile Testing

The Dynamic pile testing is categorized as

High strain dynamic testing is used to provide data

on force and acceleration of pile subjected to impact
force. The data is used to evaluate the bearing
capacity/capacity and structural integrity of the pile as
well as hammer performance, pile stresses and soil
characteristics like soil damping coefficients. Pile
integrity which is accurately evaluated on site will allow
the engineer to immediately reject or accept the pile.

Low strain pile testing is exclusively used for testing

integrity ( continuity of pile). It also gives information on
physical dimension and consistency of the pile
material.
Pile Testing

Pile integrity testing

A pile integrity test also known as

low strain dynamic testing is used
to check:

➢ Potentially dangerous defects

such non uniform cross section,
voids, cracks, etc. in the casted
pile foundation.
➢ Integrity of pile in its total length.
➢ To determine unknown length of
pile in existing structures
Thank You and Best Wishes
☺