Improved Relationships for the Pile Base Response in Sandy Soils
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 149, Issue 8
Abstract
Design codes vary in their recommendations for the end-bearing response for bored piles founded in sand, both for the ultimate design value and the response at small settlements. The ultimate end-bearing resistance may be expressed either in terms of bearing factors relative to the in situ vertical effective stress, with the value varying with the friction angle of the sand, or as a factor applied to in situ test data, such as the standard penetration test blow count or the tip resistance . Numerical studies have led to proposed ratios of design end-bearing pressure to at specific settlement ratios, such as 5% and 10% of the pile diameter. The work presented here used numerical analysis to evaluate the full pile base response from initial stiffness to ultimate end-bearing resistance at a settlement ratio of 10% of the pile diameter. The resulting base responses are suitable for implementation in beam column analyses and have been validated by comparison with published design guidelines and with data from a full-scale instrumented pile load test.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to the reviewers and the Associated Editor for the valuable comments and constructive feedback that improved this work.
References
API (American Petroleum Institute). 2003. Planning, designing and constructing fixed offshore platforms—Working stress design. Washington, DC: API.
Baguelin, F., and R. Frank. 1979. “Theoretical studies of piles using the finite element method.” In Proc., Conf. Numerical Methods in Offshore Piling, 83–91. London: Institution of Civil Engineers.
Bolton, M. D. 1986. “The strength and dilatancy of sands.” Géotechnique 36 (1): 65–78. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1986.36.1.65.
Bolton, M. D. 1987. “Discussion: The strength and dilatancy of sands.” Géotechnique 37 (2): 219–226. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1987.37.2.219.
Bowles, J. E. 1996. Foundation analysis and design. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Carter, J. P., J. R. Booker, and S. K. Yeung. 1986. “Cavity expansion in cohesive frictional soils.” Géotechnique 36 (3): 349–358. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1986.36.3.349.
CEN. 2004a. Eurocode 2. Design of concrete structures—Part 1: General rules and rules for buildings. EN 1992-1-1. Brussels, Belgium: CEN.
CEN (European Committee for Standardization). 2004b. Eurocode 7. Geotechnical design—Part 1-1: General actions. EN 1997-1. Brussels, Belgium: CEN.
CGS (Canadian Geotechnical Society). 2006. Canadian foundation engineering manual. 4th ed. Alberta, Canada: CGS.
Committee of Bearing Capacity of Piles. 1971. “Field tests on piles in sand.” Soils Found. 11 (2): 29–49. https://doi.org/10.3208/sandf1960.11.2_29.
Comodromos, E. M., C. Anagnostopoulos, and M. Georgiadis. 2003. “Numerical assessment of axial pile group response based on load test.” Comput. Geotech. 30 (6): 505–515. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0266-352X(03)00017-X.
Comodromos, E. M., and M. C. Papadopoulou. 2012. “Response evaluation of horizontally loaded pile groups in clayey soils.” Géotechnique 62 (4): 329–339. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.10.P.045.
Comodromos, E. M., M. C. Papadopoulou, and L. Laloui. 2016. “Contribution to the design methodologies of piled raft foundations under combined loadings.” Can. Geotech. J. 53 (4): 559–577. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2015-0251.
Comodromos, E. M., M. C. Papadopoulou, and M. F. Randolph. 2021. “Improved relationships for the pile base response in clayey soils.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 147 (10): 04021095. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002606.
Comodromos, E. M., M. C. Papadopoulou, and I. K. Rentzeperis. 2009. “Pile foundation analysis and design using experimental data and 3-D numerical analysis.” Comput. Geotech. 36 (5): 819–836. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2009.01.011.
Cornforth, D. 1973. “Prediction of drained strength of sands from relative density measurements.” In STP523-EB evaluation of relative density and its role in geotechnical projects involving cohesionless soils, edited by E. Selig and R. Ladd, 281–303. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung). 2005. Ground—Verification of the safety of earthworks and foundations. DIN 1054. Berlin: DIN.
FHWA (Federal Highway Administration). 2018. Drilled shafts: Construction procedures and design methods. Washington, DC: FHWA, DOT.
Fioravante, V., and D. Giretti. 2016. “Unidirectional cyclic resistance of Ticino and Toyoura sands from centrifuge cone penetration tests.” Acta Geotech. 11 (4): 953–968. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-015-0419-3.
Gibson, R. E. 1950. “Correspondence.” J. Inst. Civ. Eng. 34 (382): 383.
Green, G. E., and D. W. Reades. 1975. “Boundary conditions, anisotropy and sample shape effects on the stress-strain behaviour of sand in a triaxial compression and plane strain.” Géotechnique 25 (2): 333–356. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1975.25.2.333.
Ichihara, M., and H. Matsuzawa. 1973. “Application of plane strain tests to earth pressure.” In Proc., 8th Int. Conf. on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, 185–190. Moscow: ISSMGE.
Jamiolkowski, M. C., C. C. Ladd, J. T. Germaine, and R. Lancellotta. 1985. “New developments in field and laboratory testing of soils.” In Proc., 11th Int. Conf. on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, 57–153. San Francisco: CRC Press.
Katzenbach, R., U. Arslan, and C. Moormann. 2000. “Piled raft foundation projects in Germany.” In Design applications of raft foundations, 323–391. London: Thomas Telford.
Kleven, A., S. Lacasse, and K. H. Andersen. 1986. Soil parameters for offshore foundation design. Oslo, NO: Norwegian Geotechnical Institute.
Lancellotta, R. 1983. “Analisi di affidabilitá in ingegneria geotecnica.” In Atti dell’Istituto di Scienza delle Costruzioni, 625. Turin, Italy: Politecnico di Torino.
Lee, J. H., and R. Salgado. 1999. “Determination of pile base resistance in sands.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 125 (8): 673–683. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(1999)125:8(673).
Lo Presti, D. 1987. “Mechanical behaviour of Ticino sand from resonant column tests.” Ph.D. thesis, Dip. Di Ingegneria Civile, Politecnico di Torino.
Lunne, T., P. K. Robertson, and J. J. M. Powell. 1997. Cone penetration testing. New York: E & FN Spon.
Nguyen, H. M., and B. H. Fellenius. 2015. “Bidirectional cell tests on non-grouted and grouted large-diameter bored piles.” J. Geo-Eng. Sci. 2 (3–4): 105–117. https://doi.org/10.3233/JGS-140025.
Ogura, H., M. Sumi, T. Suzuki, H. Kawamura, and H. Kishida. 1992. “Simplified load testing method for cast-in-place pile.” In Proc., 27th Annual Meeting of JGS, 1531–1532. Tokyo: Japanese Geotechnical Society.
Peck, R. B., W. E. Hanson, and T. H. Thornburn. 1974. Foundation engineering. 2nd ed. New York: Wiley.
Randolph, M. F., J. Dolwin, and R. Beck. 1994. “Design of driven piles in sand.” Géotechnique 44 (3): 427–448. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1994.44.3.427.
Randolph, M. F., and C. P. Wroth. 1978. “Analysis of deformation of vertically loaded piles.” J. Geotech. Eng. Div. 104 (12): 1465–1488. https://doi.org/10.1061/AJGEB6.0000729.
Reese, L. C., and M. W. O’Neill. 1989. “New design method for drilled shafts from common soil and rock tests.” In Vol. 2 of Foundation engineering: Current principles and practices, edited by F. H. Kulhawy, 1026–1039. New York: ASCE.
Reul, O., and M. F. Randolph. 2003. “Piled rafts in overconsolidated clay—Comparison of in situ measurements and numerical analyses.” Géotechnique 53 (3): 301–315. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.2003.53.3.301.
Robertson, P. K., and R. G. Campanella. 1983. “Interpretation of cone penetration tests. Part II: Clay.” Can. Geotech. J. 20 (4): 734–745. https://doi.org/10.1139/t83-079.
Salgado, R., J. K. Mitchell, and M. Jamiolkowski. 1997. “Cavity expansion and penetration resistance in sand.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 123 (4): 344–354. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(1997)123:4(344).
Santamarina, J. C., and G. C. Cho. 2001. “Determination of critical parameters in sandy soils—Simple procedure.” Geotech. Test. J. 24 (2): 185–192. https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ11338J.
Sutherland, H., and M. Mesdary. 1969. “The influence of the intermediate principal stress on the strength of sand.” In Proc., 7th Int. Conf. on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, 391–399. Mexico: Sociedad Mexicana de Mecanica.
Vesic, A. S. 1967. A study of bearing capacity of deep foundations. Atlanta: Georgia Institute of Technology.
Yu, H. S., and G. T. Houlsby. 1991. “Finite cavity expansion in dilatant soils: Loading analysis.” Géotechnique 41 (2): 173–183. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1991.41.2.173.
Yusufuku, N., H. Ochiai, and S. Ohno. 2001. “Pile end-bearing capacity of the sand related to soil compressibility.” Soils Found. 41 (4): 59–71. https://doi.org/10.3208/sandf.41.4_59.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 13, 2022
Accepted: Mar 21, 2023
Published online: May 26, 2023
Published in print: Aug 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Oct 26, 2023
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Bored piles
- Design (by type)
- Engineering fundamentals
- Field tests
- Foundations
- Geomechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Geotechnical investigation
- Load and resistance factor design
- Load factors
- Penetration tests
- Pile foundations
- Pile settlement
- Piles
- Sandy soils
- Soil dynamics
- Soil mechanics
- Soil settlement
- Soils (by type)
- Structural design
- Tests (by type)
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.