Review and Other Aspects of

Deep Foundations
 End Resistance of Pile in Sand -
Meyerhofs Equation
Meyerhofs Qtip

According to Meyerhof, there is also critical depth

associated with end bearing capacity

Qult Ap qult Ap D f N q Ap pv N q Ap pv ( critical) N q

* * *
For end bearing - For Pile in
Cohesive Soils
Terzaghis Equations for
Piles End Bearing
in Cohesive Soils

Circular pile with width B

qult = 1.3cN c D f N q 9c

Square pile with width B

qult = 1.3cN c D f N q 9c
 SPT(N) versus f SPT(N) versus f SPT(N) versus f
correlation for correlation for correlation for
cohesion-less cohesion-less cohesion-less
soils (Coyle and soils soils (McCarty,
Castello, 1981) (Old JKR David F, 1998)
Document)
SPT(N) f f f
4 28
5 29
8 30
10 31 30 30
20 35 35 32
30 38 36 35
40 38
44 40
50 41 41 40
60 43 42
70 44
 SPT(N) versus c SPT(N) versus c SPT(N) versus c
correlation for correlation for correlation for
cohesive soils cohesive soils cohesive soils
(McCarty, David (old JKR (Das, B M,
F., 1998) correlation) 2002)
SPT(N) c, kPa c, kPa c, kPa
0 0 0 0
2 12 14 12.5
4 24 25 25
8 48 50 50
15 96 100
16 100
30 190 200
32 200
 Approximate Design Parameters
Common Granular UNSC (Look f range, range Comments
Description or like USCS) degree (moist),
Cohesive kN/m cu
Class.
Sand, Granular GW, GP, GM, 32-36 15.7-21.2
gravel, GC, SW, SP
stone
Silty Sand, Granular SM, SC 28-32 17.3-20.4
Clayey Sand

Silts, Low Granular ML, CL, OL 25-30 17.3-19.6 PI<20

Plastic Clays LL<40

High Plastic Cohesive CH, MH, OH, 0-25 or use 7.85-17.3 PI>20
Silts & PT cohesion LL>40
Clays, instead
organics
 Other methods of determining pile
strength
Pile driving formula
Load tests (static, statnamic, dynamic)
 Set as usually defined

Final Set

When penetration of pile is 25 mm or less for the final 10 blows

Data from set penetration come into pile driving formulas as S (penetration per
blow)
Pile Driving Formula another way
of estimating pile strength
Engineering-News formula

1000Wr H
Qa
6( S C )

Where:

Wr Weight of Ram, in KN

S = penetration per blow in mm/blow

C = 25 for drop hammers

(Built in Factor of Safety = 6)

Pile Driving Formula another way
of estimating pile strength
Hileys Resistance Formula

WHZ (0.4)(0.4)( P) W
R and Z
S 2
C
W P

Where:

W=Weight of Ram (kN)

R=Ultimate Load (kN)
C=Total temporary compression due
to drive head, pile, and subsoil (mm)
P=Pile weight (kN)
Z=Efficiency (%)
H=Drop height (mm)
S=Penetration per blow in (mm)
 Static Load Test another way of
estimating pile strength
Static Load Test Local Practice

Concentric Loading
Uniform pressure over entire pile area
Loading increment is 20% of total load
Rest periods after each load are 6 hours
After 36 hours of test (5 increments + 6 hours) settlement must be less than 6
mm
Usual Factor of Safety used for pile = 2.0
If results of loading test found to be unsatisfactory whose fault will it be
unto?
Kentledge for Static Load Test
Settlement versus Load
 Pile Dynamic Analyzer (PDA) a
third way of estimating pile capacity
Results not as accurate as Static Load
Test
 Effect of Pile Group
If 2 piles are driven close together, soil stresses caused by the piles tend to
overlap, and bearing capacity of the pile group consisting of 2 piles is less
than the sum of the individual capacities.

Therefore it is better to have piles in a group that are far apart but the cost of
pile cap would be rising.

Building code may regulate the distance between piles driven in group.
 When sum of individual capacities equals to
total capacity, efficiency is 1.0
When pile spacing ranges between 3 diameters and 8 diameters
Efficiency ranges between 0.7 and 1.0

For piles driven to end bearing layer, efficiency is

usually taken as 1.0

For piles driven in sand and having sufficient

distance, efficiency is also usually taken as 1.0.
Pile Group Efficiency
Converse-Labarre equation

(n 1)m (m 1)n
Eg 1
90mn

Where

E g = Pile group efficiency

= arctan d/s, degree
n = number of piles in a row
m = number of rows of piles
d = diameter of piles
s = spacing between piles, c to c
Pier Equation applies when piles are
very close to each other in a group
At less than 3 diameters, use block capacity (as if a pier)

Pier equation:

Qs 2D(W L) f 1.3cN cWL

Where:

Qc = ultimate bearing capacity of pile group

D = depth of pile group
W = width of pile group
L = Length of pile group
f = c (unit adhesion)
N c = bearing capacity factor for shallow rectangular footing
TRIVIA
 WHY DO YOU NEED TO DO A PILE LOAD
TEST?

UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES DOES

RESULT FROM A PILE TEST MOST
RELIABLE?

UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES DOES

RESULT FROM A PILE TEST MOST
UNRELIABLE
 WHAT ARE THE NORMALLY AVAILABLE
TYPES OF PILE LOAD TESTS

WHAT IS THE STATIC LOAD TEST

IS THERE ANY WAY THAT A STATIC LOAD

TEST RESULT DOES NOT PROVIDE ACTUAL
PILES PERFORMANCE
 WHAT IS THE DYNAMIC LOAD TEST

WHAT IS THE STATNAMIC LOAD TEST

IS THERE ANY WAY THAT A DYNAMIC LOAD

TEST RESULT DOES NOT PROVIDE ACTUAL
PILES PERFORMANCE
 HOW DO LOADS INCREMENTED DURING A
STATIC LOAD TEST

HOW DOES PILE BEARING CAPACITY

DETERMINED FROM RESULTS OF A STATIC
LOAD TEST
Results from a Static Load Test
 IT IS POSSIBLE TO DETERMINE PILE
BEARING CAPACITY WITHOUT DOING
THE LOAD TEST

IS IT POSSIBLE TO DETERMINE PILE

BEARING CAPACITY BASED ON PILE
FRICTIONAL AND END BEARING
STRENGTHS
 ARE THERE FACTORS WHICH MAY
INCREASE PILE STRENGTH IN FACE
OF UNCERTAINTIES

ARE THERE QUESTIONS REGARDING

VALIDITY OF STATIC LOAD TEST AND
DYNAMIC TEST
 IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE
CONSOLIDATION EVEN WITH PILES
PUT IN PLACE
 Piled
stratum

Soft
compressible
stratum
(a)
bedrock

Piled
stratum

Soft compressible
stratum with boulders

(b)
bedrock
 WHY IS FOUNDATION IN LIMESTONE
BEDROCK AREA RELATIVELY
DIFFICULT

WHY IS FOUNDATION IN DISUSED TIN

MINING AREA RELATIVELY DIFFICULT
 HOW DO YOU PUT IT THAT PILE LOAD
TEST IS NOT ALWAYS NECESSARY

HOW DO YOU TREAT PILING RECORD

 WHY IS FOUNDATION IN LIMESTONE
BEDROCK AREA RELATIVELY
DIFFICULT

WHY IS FOUNDATION IN DISUSED TIN

MINING AREA RELATIVELY DIFFICULT