Allowable Eccentricity of Pile Groups for Deep Basements
Publication: Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 28, Issue 2
Abstract
Basement excavation will cause installed piles to move laterally. It is very common for driven piles in developments with two-level basements to have large eccentricities from their intended positions at the cut-off level of the piles. However, this naturally occurring phenomenon is not well recognized in the construction industry. This is evident from the fact that the allowable pile eccentricity specified in many technical specifications for developments with basements is fixed at 75 mm, which normally is specified for pile foundations of developments with no basement construction. This paper used a case study to illustrate the extent of such pile lateral movements as a result of basement excavation. The effect of such lateral movements on the pile foundation design was discussed using the case study. Appropriate allowable pile eccentricity for driven piles for developments with deep basements are proposed.
Practical Applications
It generally is known that excavation for basement construction causes large lateral movement of preinstalled piles. However, the allowable pile eccentricity for single piles and pile groups specified by most practicing engineers is appropriate for developments without basements. This means that the risks for a large pile’s lateral movement as a result of the excavation are borne by piling contractors, even though to a large extent such risks are beyond the control of piling contractors. The findings of this study are useful for practicing engineers to specify the allowable pile eccentricity for single piles and pile groups in developments with basements to achieve a fairer risk allocation for piling contractors and developers. The ultimate aim is to achieve a more competitive piling cost for developments with basements, because piling contractors do not have to price for risks that have been allocated unfairly to piling contractors.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
Some data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Data pertaining to the ground conditions are available. The details of the linear elastic model are available in the user manual of SIGMA/W, and the code is based on the ICE Specification for Piling and Embedded Retaining Walls.
References
Chen, L. T., and H. G. Poulos. 1996. “Some aspects of pile response near an excavation.” In Proc., 7th Australia and New Zealand Conf. in Geomechanics: Geomechanics in a Changing World, Adelaide, South Australia, edited by M. B. Jaksa, W. S. Kaggwa, and D. A. Cameron, 604–609. Canberra, Australia: Geotechnical Society and the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Chen, L. T., and H. G. Poulos. 1997. “Piles subjected to lateral soil movements.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 123 (9): 802–811. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(1997)123:9(802).
Finno, R. J., S. A. Lawrence, N. F. Allawh, and I. S. Harahap. 1991. “Analysis of performance of pile groups adjacent to deep excavation.” J. Geotech. Eng. 117 (6): 934–955. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9410(1991)117:6(934).
Goh, A. T., C. I. Teh, and K. S. Wong. 1996. “The response of vertical piles to ground movements from adjacent braced excavations.” In Vol. 1 of Proc., 12th Southeast Asian Geotechnical Conf., 403–409. Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia: Institution of Engineers.
Institution of Civil Engineers. 2017. ICE Specification for piling and embedded retaining walls. 3rd ed. London: Institution of Civil Engineers.
Kog, Y. C. 2009. “An integrity problem of large diameter bored piles.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 135 (2): 237–245. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2009)135:2(237).
Kog, Y. C., and K. K. Loh. 2022. “Soil parameters of Kallang formation and old alluvium in Singapore for excavation study with Plaxis.” Pract. Period. Struct. Des. Constr. 27 (2): 040221010. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)SC.1943-5576.0000665.
Leung, C. F., Y. K. Chow, and R. F. Shen. 2000. “Behavior of pile subject to excavation-induced soil movement.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 126 (11): 947–954. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2000)126:11(947).
Leung, C. F., J. K. Lim, R. F. Shen, and Y. K. Chow. 2003. “Behavior of pile groups subject to excavation-induced soil movement.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 129 (1): 58–65. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2003)129:1(58).
Ong, D. E. L., C. F. Leung, and Y. K. Chow. 2006. “Pile behavior due to excavation induced soil movement in clay. I: Stable wall.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 132 (1): 36–44. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2006)132:1(36).
Ong, D. E. L., C. F. Leung, and Y. K. Chow. 2009. “Behavior of pile groups subject to excavation-induced soil movement in very soft clay.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 135 (10): 1462–1474. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000095.
Poulos, H. G. 1973. “Analysis of piles in soil undergoing lateral movement.” J. Soil Mech. Found. Div. 99 (5): 391–406. https://doi.org/10.1061/JSFEAQ.0001879.
Poulos, H. G., and L. T. Chen. 1997. “Pile response due to excavation-induced lateral soil movement.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 123 (2): 94–99. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(1997)123:2(94).
PWD (Public Works Department) 1987. PWD general specification. Singapore: PWD.
Tomlinson, M. J. 1977. Pile design and construction practice. London: Cement and Concrete Association.
Wong, I. H., and T. S. Chua. 1999. “Ground movements due to pile driving in an excavation in soft soil.” Can. Geotech. J. 36 (1): 152–160. https://doi.org/10.1139/t98-071.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 28 • Issue 2 • May 2023
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 12, 2022
Accepted: Oct 24, 2022
Published online: Jan 4, 2023
Published in print: May 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Jun 4, 2023
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.