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By V. M. Troughton

Large diameter bored piles with grouted bases have been adopted for the foundations of the majority of the buildings at Canary Wharf in London's Docklands, including a deep basement car park. The piles are founded in the Thanet Sand which forms part of London's aquifer where water levels are reported to be slowly rising. A special pile test has been carried out to determine the effects of both the basement excavation and a possible long term rise in the groundwater level on the performance of base grouted piles. These effects were simulated by injecting water around the pile toe and thus reducing the vertical effective stress. In this paper the test layout and procedures are described and the results are presented. The test results showed that the reduction in pile base resistance under increased water pressures was less than predicted by conventional design methods based on vertical effective stress. The end bearing resistance was found to be proportional to the mean effective stress.

Jan 1, 1989

By R. D. Short

Environmental regulations for noise and air pollution are directly affecting the type of equipment and construction techniques being utilized for pile driving construction using diesel hammers in California and elsewhere. Consequently, the cost of construction is increasing and in some cases, the use of diesel pile hammers has been prohibited. Based on the trend in California and elsewhere in the world, environmental constraints are spreading and becoming more restrictive. The City of Tokyo, Japan, for example has banned the use of diesel hammers. Environmental restrictions on diesel hammers can be satisfied by using modern hammers, clean burning fuels, synthetic lubricants and pre-excavation techniques.

Jan 1, 1989

By Vahid Tajdar

The behavior similarity between pile and cone penetration test, has guided the researchers to use the CPT results in prediction of piles bearing capacity. In this article, artificial neural networks have been used to study about relation between cone tip and sleeve friction strength obtained from cone penetration test and ultimate pile bearing capacity, obtained from static pile load test. Artificial neural networks "ANNS" is a form of artificial intelligence. ANN tries to dramatize the human nerves & brain system biology structure in self-structure. In this article, the results of relevant studies about the prediction of ultimate pile bearing capacity in especial area of soils are presented by use of back - propagation neural networks. The results of static pile load test up to failure on 63 piles with closed end and CPT test results in the place of construction these piles use in order to confirm and creation ANN model. Comparing predicted ultimate pile bearing capacity by utilizing ANN with the numbers which are predicted by 5 common traditional methods shows that using of artificial neural networks is a suitable method for predicted ultimate pile bearing capacity in identified area of texture of soil moreover it has a better operation in comparison with common traditional methods.

Jan 1, 2006

By Andrew J. Brennan, Jonathan A. Knappett, Lewis Hamilton, Michael J. Brown

"Abstract This paper investigates the compressive behaviour of screw piles in sands and the key design parameters which control this. These types of foundation elements have typically been used as screw anchors onshore (i.e. for their tensile capacity), but there is increasing interest in their potential use as compression piles for supporting offshore marine renewable energy (MRE) devices (e.g. wind and tidal turbines) in deeper water. For such foundation applications, the compressive capacity is as important as the tensile capacity and is not well understood, particularly in cohesionless soils which are a likely seabed condition in MRE applications. A 1-g laboratory study was initially conducted on small scale model screw piles in sand beds of various relative density between 25 – 88%. These experiments were used to validate a Finite Element (FE) model having a stress-dependent constitutive model, making it useful for future up-scaling of the pile size for field applications. Following validation, the FE model was used to conduct a parametric study on the effects of flange spacing ratio (s/Dflange) and flange to shaft diameter ratio (Dflange/Dshaft). By using a validated FE model for this study, it was possible to observe the failure mechanisms (through the shear strain distribution) within the soil and correlate these with the pile capacity. This information was then used to comment on the most optimal (cost-effective) pile design for supporting compressive loads. This study represents a key step towards producing design tools appropriate for the design of screw piles in MREapplications.IntroductionAs defined in this paper, screw piles consist of a central small diameter hollow steel shaft, around which thin circular steel flanges run. Their principle of operation is that the flanges are spaced so as to trap the soil between them, thereby acting as an equivalent solid pile of the outer flange diameter, with a fully-rough ‘shaft’ interface (as shearing is soil-soil). One of the most important design decisions relates to the spacing of the flanges – if the flanges are spaced too far apart, then the soil will not be effectively trapped and the pile have a lower axial capacity and stiffness (controlled by the shaft friction along the central shaft and the bearing resistance arising from the individual flanges; If the flanges are spaced too close together, then there are potentially flanges which are not contributing to the pile capacity, therefore making the pile more expensive than it needs to be."

Jan 1, 2014

By Alexander B. Reeb, Richard J. Varuso, George M. Filz, Jehu B. Johnson

"T-walls, which are concrete floodwalls in an inverted “T” shape, are an integral component of the Greater New Orleans Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS). In order to resist large lateral flood loads, T-walls are typically supported on long batter piles that extend through the weak and compressible clays and peats commonly encountered in southern Louisiana. Since the piles are battered, settlement of the compressible foundation soils can result in loads acting normal to the piles and induce pile bending moments. Therefore, the design of pile-supported T-walls is a complex soil-structure interaction problem that requires detailed and careful numerical analysis to accurately estimate the stresses and bending moments in the piles. For this paper, numerical analyses were performed for three cross sections that each included a two-pile T wall system that was installed within a 15-ft tall new levee embankment. The cross sections were identical except that the elevation of the T-wall base was varied. This paper discusses the analyses, and it compares the influence of settlements and flood loading on the pile stresses and bending moments. In addition, this paper includes general recommendations for the analysis and design of pile-supported T-walls in practice.INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUNDThe recently completed Greater New Orleans Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS) includes 350 miles of levees and floodwalls and is designed to defend against a 100-year storm surge event. The floodwalls predominantly consist of I-walls and T-walls. I-walls are comprised of a sheet pile wall curtain capped with a monolithic concrete wall above grade. T-walls are similar to I-walls, but they include a wide concrete base at grade, which forms an inverted “T” shape, and they are generally supported by long batter piles that provide additional lateral and rotational stability for resisting flood loads.During Hurricane Katrina, several I-walls failed, resulting in large breaches and devastating flooding (Duncan et al. 2008, IPET 2009). T-walls on the other hand performed quite well, including T-walls that were overtopped and eroded on the protected side, yet still did not collapse. As part of the HSDRSS, more conservative designs and height restrictions were required for I-walls (USACE 2011), and a number of I-wall sections were replaced with T-walls. However, the design of pile-supported T-walls is complex and requires careful consideration of both flood loading and settlements."

Jan 1, 2017

By Richard A. Forth

During the construction of the Island Line (ISL) in Hong Kong between 1982 and 1986 piled foundations of a building were encountered in a tunnel drive. As the tunnel alignment could not be changed work was temporarily suspended whilst grouting took place beneath the pile cap. The tips of the piles were then cut off. The normal precast concrete lining segments were replaced by the "stiffer" spheroidal graphite iron segments and tunnelling resumed. Settlement of the building was found to be under 10 mm due to the tunnel drive and no damage was reported to the building.

Jan 1, 2002

By Enrique Ibarra, Manuel J. Mendoza

"Abstract: This paper describes the current state-of-practice for the design of cast-in-place drilled shafts in granular soils under axial loading, addressing recent advances that take into account the surrounding soil grain size distribution and their behavior. The important role of the gravel content in the shaft response under axial loading is emphasized. Usual design approaches in Mexico are described, and the results of load tests from different sources are discussed. The analysis emphasizes the primary contribution of the lateral area of shafts to their axial bearing capacity, raising doubts regarding the common local idea of “point bearing shafts”. Finally, some lines of research are noted to permit advances in the important field of deep foundations. 1 INTRODUCTIONIn Mexico, cast-in-place drilled shaft foundations are widely used to support various structures in the west area of Mexico City, where alluvial and volcanic deposits predominate. Deep foundations are also used in modern construction works located in other major cities of Mexico. In fact, the use of drilled shafts for tall buildings and overpasses in the center of Guadalajara as well as in transportation works related to the Metro and roadways in Monterrey is well known. It is worth mentioning that these same structures have been applied in road bridges throughout the country.Procedures for pile construction in Mexico have been basically the same for the past 20 years (Paniagua et al., 2005); however, modern equipment has been incorporated into the construction industry, including innovations in sludge-drilling technology, control and the quality of the castings. In addition, novel and efficient procedures such as construction with continuous auger displacement piles have been implemented (Auger Cast in Place, ACP) and have begun to be used locally with success (Schmitter and Paulin, 2006).However, it can be argued that the technological developments that have resulted in more efficient construction procedures have not included a breakthrough in the full understanding of the phenomena or basic mechanisms of load transfer from piles to the surrounding subsoil and therefore in supported, tested and practical design methods. This is particularly true when seeking to determine the unit side shear strength of shafts drilled in granular media with gravels, where it has been observed that the commonly used calculations developed for sands underestimate the load-bearing capacity by frictionin a most important way. Due to the above reasons, it seemed appropriate to present in this paper a review of the current stateof- practice in Mexico for the design of cast-in-place drilled shafts, particularly in granular media, highlighting some recent advances and research that takes into account the grain size distribution and behavior of granular soil."

Jan 1, 2014

By Ali Porbaha

The use of soil nailing technology as a cost effective alternative for excavation support and slope stabilization has substantially increased in the United States during the last decade. For example, in the past thirteen years, more than 185,800 square meters of soil nail walls have been constructed in California alone. The conventional soil nail systems pose difficulties when ground conditions are subject to caving, for instance for silty sand (sugar sand) or cobbles and boulders. The construction industry has developed self drilling hollow bar systems (or pressure injected bored, IBO) that combine both drilling, placing and grouting in a single operation as a solution to speed up construction. While the system is extensively used for temporary applications, nevertheless, some concerns, particularly about corrosion, has limited the use of this technology as a permanent system in North America. This study presents several issues related to self drilling soil nail systems, the results of a field investigation and a summary of the research project.

Jan 1, 2006

By Osamu Taki

This paper presents the system, the strength of column, the design concept, and the applications with four case histories from the past project as the general aspect of Geo-Column (trade mark of single soil-cement column by SCC Technology, Inc.). In the system, it shows the installation process and drilling/mixing tool with the mixing process. In the design concept, it shows how to design Geo-Column against the vertical and horizontal load. Finally, it shows the applications with four case histories, (1) building mat foundation, (2) isolated foundation on the pedestrian bridge, (3) bridge spread footing and slope erosion control wall in the channel, and (4) cut-off wall and shoring wall in the underpass roadway to the railroad.

Jan 1, 2000

By Amalia Giannakou

This paper utilises 3-D finite-element modeling to study the static and dynamic lateral harmonic response of inclined piles, in a homogenous and a non-homogenous soil, modeled as a linear hysteretic medium. The results of a comprehensive parameter study are presented in the form of dimensionless plots of: (a) static and dynamic swaying and rocking stiffnesses and damping ratios, and (b) distribution of internal forces (bending moment, shear and axial force) with depth. These plots can be readily utilised in practical applications and they offer insight on the role of the inclination in the response of flexible piles.

Jan 1, 2006

By J. Nakayama

For installation of round steel piles or cast-in-place pile construction through boulder contained ground or rocky formation, usual system does not function properly or impossible to work. This paper introduces an installation system which combines unique mechanism where the drill is installed on the top of a driving round steel pile or a stand pipe which is initially driven into the overburden to the depth of self-standing. When the pile driving or bore hole drilling encounters hard strata or boulder contained ground, hard material shall be crushed by the down-the-hole chiselling operated in adjustable short stroke and high frequency of blows while cuttings are discharged in reverse circulation through central reverse pipe while round steel pile is simultaneously stroked by a hydraulic hammer. The paper shall explain the mechanism of the system and introduces construction examples for bridge foundation and piled jetty.

Jan 1, 1999

By H. Mori

The session chairman, Dr. H. Mori, welcomed the delegates to Discussion Session 8. AUTHORS PRESENTATIONS 1 . G. Price, Building Research Establishment. UK Mr. Price expanded on the content of his paper and presented elements of various case histories of bored piles instrumented by the Building Research Establishment. In particular, the interpretation of data from instrumented piles is critically related to: (i) the construction process (ii) concrete stiffness and variability (iii) the effects on the pile due to installing instruments The main role of the instrumentation in the examples presented was to establish pile performance under service loading conditions. Of particular interest is the mobilisation of skin friction and soil shear modulus.

Jan 1, 1991

By Andrew Malinak, William Perkins

Seattle’s Elliott Bay Seawall protects the 1½ miles of downtown waterfront between South Washington and Broad streets. The seawall supports the urban waterfront and infrastructure, including the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Alaskan Way, access to historic waterfront piers, and numerous essential buried utilities. Most of the original seawall was constructed between 1916 and 1936 over soft/loose non-engineered fill, estuary, and beach deposits. The majority of the original seawall was a pile-supported timber relieving platform that extended up to 60 feet behind the face of the wall (Figure 1). With maximum spacing between the timber piles of 3 to 5 feet, a virtual forest of timber piles were driven for the original wall.

Jan 1, 2018

By Carole L. B. Mitchell

The increased use of micropiles and soil nailing presents a growing database of verification and sacrificial load test data. In Washington State, the use of micropiles is becoming common, and soil nails are now almost as widely used as tiebacks; yet the state of the practice in understanding load transfer rates has not improved. This research compiles load test data for micropiles and soil nails from Shannon & Wilson?s records in the Puget Sound region of Washington. Ultimate and maximum load transfer rates for design are correlated to geologic units and soil types found in the region. Variables such as pressure versus tremie grouting, hole diameter, soil density/consistency, and the presence of groundwater are compared to load transfer rates for similar geologic units and soil types. Results are also compared to published PTI, AASHTO, and FHWA guidelines. Our results indicate that published ranges may be conservative for some soil types in the Puget Sound region, especially for micropiles. Performing verification tests to failure instead of typical verification or performance tests is needed to improve correlations and provide less conservative design load transfer rates.

Jan 1, 2006

By Harry K. Weatherbee

The paper presents a design case study for a four-story correction facility addition in south Boston, Massachusetts, supported on friction piles driven into the Boston Blue Clay. 356 mm (14-in.) square prestressed-precast (PSPC) concrete piles were selected as they were found more effective and economical. A static load test was performed where the pile was brought to "failure". The load test data were evaluated to estimate the Ultimate Pile Capacity as well as the Ultimate Unit Skin Friction (Adhesion) to serve as a design tool for friction pile projects in the south Boston Area.

Jan 1, 2003

By J. A. Hayes

For over a decade the Osterberg Load Cell has been successfully used to determine the shear capacities of drilled shafts. Since the test method measures side shear directly, analytical complications due to the influence of end bearing resistance are removed. The data suggest that the side shear component of a drilled shaft's capacity is often more significant than end bearing. Given the interest in the use of side shear in drilled shaft design in compressible materials, it is important to examine factors that can influence capacity. We have found that some factors widely believed to influence capacity, such as slurry type, are not as important as commonly thought in most materials. Factors that are not usually considered as important, such as casing use, hoop spacing, concrete slump, concrete additives, spacers and rebar clear cover, seem to be more influential with respect to side shear capacity. For example, substantially lower than predicted shear resistance can occur when the rebar clear cover is small with respect to the cage diameter. We observe this most often in fine-grained cohesive soils. This effect can be exaggerated if the rebar cage has tight hoop spacing, if the concrete has low slump and if the hole is not straight. We have also noted that improper use of temporary casing can have a dramatic effect on side shear resistance. In some cases we have observed tested shear capacities reduced to less than 5% of either predicted or available shear values.

Jan 1, 2003

By Chu E. Ho

Key variables that govern the jet cutting process are examined based on fundamental theories of jet hydrodynamics and soil mechanics. Under normal conditions of jet grouting operations, lift speed and rotation speed are found to be of less importance than the depth of jetting, nozzle pressure, nozzle diameter, and the soil bearing resistance, with regards to their influence on jet cutting distance. An analytical equation linking the governing variables is proposed, which allows for the possibility of evaluating column diameters achievable in different ground conditions based on theoretical calculations. When used in conjunction with shallow jet grouting field trials, the equation can provide a means for extrapolating trial results to conditions at actual depths for production jet grouting.

Jan 1, 2006

By M. B. Wechsler

An analysis is developed for determining the maximum loading, as well as the potential uplift of the piles on bridge pier foundations. There are considered piers supported on two through seven rows of piles, and related to two simply supported collinear superstructures of any structural material. The study leads to different types of influence lines for various load combinations. For load combinations containing vertical loads only, the related influence lines are similar to those as for the bending moments of a virtual span covering the two actual spans, as well as the gap between the two superstructures; and, in this case, the heavier loads should be positioned in the vicinity of the pier. While, in the case when vertical loads are acting together with hori­zontal forces, the related influence lines will indicate where the heavier live loads should be positioned. And they will also indicate on which portions of the spans the live load should be avoided.

Jan 1, 1989

By H. L. Jessberger

In recent years piled raft foundations of multi-storey buildings on weak soils have generated much interest and discussion. By taking account of the effects of each component of the system - the pile group and the raft - it is possible to reduce the settlements and inclinations of the system and to have an expedient load distribution on the piles and the raft. Thus the structural design of the foundation can be optimised.

Jan 1, 1991

By Thomas C. Anderson

Thirty-four retaining walls are part of the $46 million upgrade of a 1942 depressed highway in Highland Park, Michigan near Detroit. This project will close a missing link between two newer roadways, I-75 and the John Lodge Freeway. The existing 75 ft. wide, six lane Davison Freeway is being replaced by a eight to ten lane, 200 ft. wide depressed highway in a limited right of way. The highway will be 20-25 ft. deep and 1.5 miles long. A design/build decision by the Michigan DOT saved about 37% of the engineers estimated cost of $19 million for the walls. The successful pre-qualified specialty contractor utilized an innovative solution for the walls consisting of tiedback/cantilevered walls on the north side and mechanically stabilized earth walls on the south side. All of the walls have an identical cast-in-place architectural facing.

Jan 1, 1999