GRL

Dynamic Pile testing with the

Pile Driving Analyzer

1998 Goble Rausche Likins and

Associates and Dr. Julian Seidel
GRL Summary

History of Dynamic Pile Testing

Measuring stress waves
Fundamentals of Wave Mechanics
The Case Method (Pile Driving Analyzer)
Capacity
Stresses
Integrity
Hammer performance
 History of Dynamic
GRL Pile Testing/Analysis
18th Century: Closed Form Solutions
Late 19th Century: Engineering News Formula
1920s: First Strain Measurements
1950: Smiths Wave Equation Program
1964: Case Project began under Dr. G.G. Goble
1968: Pile Driving Analyzer (PDA)
1970: CAPWAP
1972: Pile Dynamics, Inc. founded
1976: WEAP program
1977: Saximeter
1982: Hammer Performance Analyzer
1986: Hammer Performance Study
1989: Pile Integrity Testing (PIT)
1996: FHWA Manual
1998: Pile Installation Recorders (PIR)
1999: Remote PDA
GRL 1-D Wave Theory

Hammer causes a downward travelling

stress-wave to enter the pile
Soil resistance causes stress-wave
reflections
Stress in pile can be represented by
1-dimensional Wave Theory
These stress-waves can be measured
and identified with measurement of
force and velocity near the pile top
GRL
Newtonian Collision Analogy
v1

m1 m2

v1

W1 W2

Pile is a longitudinally-distributed mass

Hammer is a concentrated mass
Rigid body motion assumption is not reasonable
Rigid body motion assumption is reasonable
Motion is dominated by stress-wave effects
GRL Impact on elastic rod
time = dt
dL

F Compressed Zone

Stress, = F/A
Wavespeed, c = dL/dt

Cross-sectional area, A
Elastic modulus, E
Mass density,
GRL Particle Velocity

dL

FF F

dx
Particle Speed

dx = F dL Wave Speed

EA v = dx = F dL = F c
dt EA dt EA
GRL Wavespeed

a = dv = d Fc F = ma
dt dt EA = dL A a
v=Fc
EA dL

F1 = dL
c2 =A E F1 c
c
dt EA

Cross-sectional area, A
Mass density, SI US
GRL Wavespeed Example
(SI units)

Determine the wavespeed for a concrete

pile with the following properties:
E = 40,000 MPa
= 24.5 kN/m3
Answer:
c2 = 40,000 x 1000 x 9.81 / 24.5
c2 = 1.602x107 m2/s2
c = 4002 m/s ~ 4000 m/s.

GRL Force, velocity, stress and
strain
Particle Speed
Wave Speed Pile Impedance

v = d x = F dL = Fc F = EAv
dt EA dt EA c
= Zv

F= =vE = =v
A c E c
SI US
GRL F,v, , Example (SI units)

A steel H-pile of 12,000 mm2 x-secn area

reaches a peak velocity of 6.2 m/s during
impact. What are the peak strain, stress and
force in the pile-top? (For steel, E = 210,000
MPa, c = 5120 m/s).
Answer:
= v/c = 6.21/5120 = 1.213x10-3
= .E = 1.213x10-3 x 210,000 = 255 MPa
F = .A = 255 x 12,000x10-6 = 3.06 MN

GRL Force and Velocity
Measurements
2W Accelerometer

Strain transducer
GRL Measuring stress waves

Strain transducer Accelerometer

GRL Strain Transducer

C
T F = A = EA

C
T C
T

C
T C
T Strain Transducer

Resistance strain gages connected

T in Wheatstone bridge configuration
C
GRL Accelerometers
Piezo-electric Piezo-resistive
Accelerometer Accelerometer
strain gage mass

spring

mass
cantilever
quartz
crystal

v = a.dt
GRL Sign Conventions

Force:
Compression - positive (+)
Tension - negative (-)

Velocity:
Downward - positive (+)
Upward- negative (-)
GRL Infinite Pile
Compressive
stress-wave

x = constant
F(x,t)
v(x,t)
MotionWavespeed,
down pile
Compression = +ve=c+

F = EAv
c
= Zv

Cross-sectional area, A
Elastic modulus, E
GRL Time domain - infinite pile

Exponential
Decay

F = EAv
c
GRL Finite pile with free end

+
incident force wave
+F

reflected in opp. sense

-
-F

Free End : F = 0
GRL Direction of Motion

Downward Travelling (incident) Waves

TOP TOE

C V

Force + F= Zv Velocity +
V
T

Force - Velocity -
GRL Direction of Motion

Upward Travelling (reflected) Waves

TOP TOE

V C

Velocity - F=-Zv Force +

V
T

Velocity + Force -
GRL Finite pile with free end

F-
F+,, v+
x = constant
+ +v

+
+v
incident wave pushes pile down

reflected tension wave pulls pile down

Free End : v doubled

GRL Time Domain - free pile

response response
time = 2L/ctime = 2L/c

Zv

Characteristic tension
F
response - velocity
increases relative to force

SI US
GRL Free end example (SI)

A 25m long 300mm segmental precast concrete

pile is installed through deep organic sediments.
Pile resistance is negligible. The pile modulus is
38,000 MPa. What is the maximum tension
stress in the pile for a peak pile-top velocity of
1.15 m/s? What action do you recommend?
Answer
c = E/ = 38,000x9.81x103/24.5 = 3900 m/s
= v/c = 1.15/3900 = 2.95x10-4
= .E = 11.2 MPa. (Tension = Compression)
Reduce the drop height

GRL Finite pile on rigid base

+
incident wave pushes pile down
+v

reflected wave pushes pile up

-

GRANITE
-v

Fixed End : v = 0
GRL Finite pile on rigid base

v-
v+,, F+ +C
x = constant +F
+F
incident wave pushes pile down
+C
reflected wave pushes pile up

GRANITE
Fixed End : F doubled
 Time domain - pile on rigid
GRL base

response response
time = 2L/ctime = 2L/c

Characteristic compression Zv
response - force increases
relative to velocity

SI US
GRL Fixed end example (SI)

A 10m long 300mmx6mm wall Grade 250 steel

pipe pile is installed through soft clay on to
fresh basalt rock. What is the maximum
section stress at the pile toe if the maximum
pile-top velocity is 3.22 m/s? What is likely to
result?
Answer
c =E/ = 210,000x9.81x103/78.5 = 5120 m/s
= v/c = 3.22/5120 = 6.29x10-4
= 2 .E = 264 MPa. (double compression in)
Buckling of the pile toe (esp local)

GRL Separation of Waves
Downward Waves Upward Waves

F=F(F+Zv)
=Zv FF
=
=-Zv
(F-Zv)

F = F + F
E=mc2 SI US

v = v + v
GRL Waves - Proof
1 F= Zv
2 F= -Zv
3 F = F+F
4 v = v+v
5 Zv = Zv+Zv
6 Zv = F- F
7 + : F + Zv = 2F or F = (F + Zv)
8 - : F - Zv = 2F or F = (F - Zv)

GRL Waves example (SI)

At impact a 300mmx6mm wall Grade 250 steel

pipe pile achieves a peak velocity of 5.34 m/s,
10m above ground level. At time 2L/c later,
the force and velocity are measured at 1620
kN and -2.67 m/s. What are the upward and
downward waves at impact and 2L/c later?
Answer
EA/c = 210,000x5542x10-3/5120= 227 kNs/m
At impact Fd = 227x5.34 = 1214 kN; Fu = 0 kN
At 2L/c Fd = (1620+227x-2.67) = 507 kN
At 2L/c Fu = (1620-227x-2.67) = 1113 kN

GRL Waves - pile on rigid base

F,Zv F = (F - FZv)

F = (F + Zv)
Zv
GRL Time of reflection

Total travel distance = 2x Wavespeed = c

Reflection from resistance at x

arrives at pile-top at time 2x/c
SI US
GRL Timing example (SI)

Measurments on an existing preast concrete pile

of unknown length indicate a modulus of 35,000
MPa. The dynamic records show a compressive
response commencing 4.3ms after impact, and a
tension response at 11.7ms. What is the depth
to soil resistance, and estimate the pile length.
Answer
c = E/ = 35,000x9.81x103/24.5 = 3740 m/s
Length to resistance = (3.74x4.3) = 8.0m
Pile length = (3.74x11.7) = 21.9m

GRL Typical pile response

toe response time = 2L/c start of toe response

timing and amount of

separation is a function
of location and extent
of soil resistance

response from shaft only

response from pile base
GRL Typical pile response

F=(F+Zv) F
exponential decay

returning compressive
reflections lift pile-top
force.
...and slow the pile-top
down relative to the
no resistance pile

toe response time = 2L/c

GRL Typical pile response

F=(F-Zv) F=R
Rshaft 2F@ 2L/c

upward travelling wave

before 2L/c is related to
the cumulative shaft
resistance
toe response time = 2L/c
GRL Typical pile response

Upward wave - isolates

response from pile/soil

Q. Why may it be preferable to view data as F , F ?

Downward wave - isolates input

from driving system

SI US
GRL Shaft resistance (SI)
Problem: Make an approximate estimate of the
pile shaft resistance.

2340kN; 3.34 m/s

1420kN

-1.32m/s
Answer:
Z = 2340/3.34 = 700 kNs/m
Rshaft @ 2 x F@ 2L/c
Rshaft @ 2x (1420-700x-1.32) = 2344 kN

GRL Conclusion
Pile driving events can be evaluated using
1-D Wave Mechanics principles
Stress-waves cause changes in force and
particle velocity
Force and velocity are related by the pile
impedance
Waves travelling both up and down a pile
can be separated by F and V measurement
Soil resistance causes reflections which
can be interpreted to determine extent and
location of resistance
GRL Case-Goble Capacity
A pile is struck at time t1.
The impact force generates a wave F(down,t 1)
L

F(,t1)
F(,t2)

The impact wave returns to the pile top at time

t2 = t 1+ 2L/c together with all resistance waves
GRL The Case Method Equation
At time t2 = t1 + 2L/c the upward traveling waves
arriving at the pile top include the reflection of the
initial impact wave plus the sum of all resistances:

F(,t2) = - F(,t1) + R
Or, rearranging we solve for the resistance:

R = (F2 -v2Z)/2 + (F1 +v1Z)/2

where R is the total pile resistance,
mobilized at a time L/c after t1.
GRL The Case Method Equation

R = (F1 + Zv1 + F2 - Zv2)

F1 and v1 are pile top force and velocity at time 1
F2 and v2 are pile top force and velocity at time 2

Time 2 is 2L/c after Time 1: t2 = t1 + 2L/c

R is the total pile resistance

present at the time of the test,
and mobilized by the hammer impact.
 Static Resistance example
GRL - US units
1000
2L/c = 10ms
Force (kip)
Z Velocity
800 F1
Force
600 Zv1

400 F2

200

0
15 20 25 30
Zv2 35 40 45
-200
Time (ms)
-400
GRL Case-Goble Static
Resistance
Total Resistance = Static + Dynamic

Rstatic= R - Rdynamic

Need to estimate Rdynamic

(Estimate it from pile velocity)

Jc = ? SI US
GRL Case Damping Factor

To calculate static from total resistance, a

viscous damping parameter, Jv , is
introduced
Rd = Jv v
Non-dimensionalization leads to the Case
Damping Factor, Jc:

Jc = Jv Z Rd = Jc Z v

Jc = ?
GRL Case-Goble Static
Resistance
Total Resistance = Static + Dynamic

Rstatic= R - Rdynamic

Rs = (1-Jc)[F1+ Zv1]/2 + (1+Jc)[F2 - Zv2]/2

Jc = ? SI US
 Case Damping Factor
GRL Values for RMX
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0

Gravel 0.3 0.4

Sand 0.4 0.5

Reducing Increasing
Grain Size Damping factor
Silt 0.5 0.7

Clay 0.7 1.0

 Restrike testing - fine
GRL grained soils

100 days

1000 days
1 day

10 days
capacity

Restrike testing generally under-

taken 1 to 10 days after installation

log time
GRL Mobilized Resistance

Ultimate Resistance
Resistance, R

Mobilized Resistance

Displacement for
full mobilization
Maximum test
displacement

Displacement, x
GRL Resistance:
Rules for good correlation

Need to Mobilize Capacity

(sufficient set per blow)

Account for time dependent strength changes

Setup - Capacity increase
Relaxation - Capacity decrease

Therefore, restrike test pile after sufficient wait

using a sufficiently large impact weight
GRL Capacity Results
GRLWEAP
by numerical analysis of assumed
pile/hammer/soil prior to installation

Case Method
measured by PDA during installation

CAPWAP
by numerical analysis of measured
PDA data after installation
 The Pile Driving Analyzer
GRL
calculates ...
GRL PDA Results

Case Method Bearing Capacity

Pile Stresses
Compressive at Top
Bending at Top
Tension Below Top
Compressive at Bottom
Pile Integrity (Beta)
Transferred Energy
 PDA RESULTS vs
GRL GRLWEAP
CAPACITY
PDA: from force and velocity records
GRLWEAP: from analysis and blow count
TOP STRESSES
PDA: directly measured
GRLWEAP: from analysis and blow count
Note:
Max. Compressive Stress does NOT
always occur at Pile Top