The Design of Piles to Resist

Lateral Loading
Dr. Khaled Y. Hassan

Reference: PILE DESIGN and CONSTRUCTION PRACTICE –

M.J. Tomlinson
Chapter 6 (Starting from Page 221)
Behaviour of Short Rigid Piles
 Behaviour of Long Flexible Piles

For both Rigid and Flexible Piles, the Permissible Deflection of the pile head should not be exceeded
Factors Affecting Behaviour of Lateral Piles
• Pile Stiffness
• Types of Loading (Sustained, Cyclic or Vibratory)
• External influences on affect the resistance of the soil at a shallow
depth.
• Scouring around piles at sea-bed level,
• Seasonal Shrinkage of clay soils away from the upper part of the pile shaft,
 Pile Stiffness
Pile Stiffness is Governed by the following parameters:
• The EI of the Pile
• The compressibility of the soil (Expressed in terms of the Soil Modulus k )
• The Soil Modulus k depends
• Diameter or width of pile
• Depth of the loaded point of soil

• The Soil Modulus ( k ) is related to Terzaghi’s concept of a Modulus of

Horizontal Subgrade Reaction ( k1).
 Pile Stiffness Factors
To distinguish between Rigid and Flexible Piles, the following Stiffness
Factors should be calculated:
R = Stiffness Factor for Soils with Constant Modulus (Stiff Clay).
T = Stiffness Factor for Soils with Linearly-Increasing Modulus (Normally
Consolidated Clay/Silt and Sand).
Calculating the Ultimate Resistance to
Lateral Loads
The Coefficient of Modulus Variation for
Sand
The criteria for behaviour as a short rigid pile or as
a long elastic pile
Broms Method For Rigid Pile in Cohesive
Soil
Ultimate Lateral Load for Rigid Pile in Cohesive
Soil
Ultimate Lateral Load For Rigid Pile in
Cohesionless Soil (Broms Method)
Lateral Capacity of Rigid Pile in
Cohesionless Soil (Broms Method)
Simplified Method for Determination of the
Ultimate Lateral Capacity of Flexible Piles

Zf= 1.4 R for stiff Clay

Zf= 1.8T for NC Clay and Sand
Ultimate Lateral Load of Flexible Piles in
Cohesive Soil (Broms Method)
Relationship Between Ultimate Moment and Ultimate
Lateral Load for Long Piles in Cohesive Soil (Broms
Method)
Ultimate Lateral Load of Flexible Piles in
Cohesionless Soil (Broms Method)
Ultimate Lateral Load of Flexible Piles in
Cohesionless Soil (Broms Method)
Bending and buckling of partly embedded
single vertical piles
The deflection of vertical piles carrying
lateral loads (Simplified Method )
Pile Head Deflection for Cohesive Soil
& it is considered Flexible, if bL >2.5
& it is considered Flexible, if bL >1.5

For Fixed-headed Piles

Pile Head Deflection for Cohesive Soil
Pile Head Deflection for Cohesionless Soil
Pile Head Deflection for Cohesionless Soil