Growth-rate-dependent prediction of pile set-up and its application in driven pile foundation construction

In this paper research was presented on the development of a growth-rate-dependent model for pile set-up prediction using the restrike and static/statnamic load testing data collected from different projects. The data included: a) restrike records from ninety-five production piles and restrike and load test results of nine instrumented piles driven in soft clays from the relocation project of Highway No. 1 in Louisiana (LA-1); and b) restrike and static load testing data of five fully instrumented square PPC piles driven at four different bridge sites in various soil layers from sands to clays in Florida. Research effort was focused on the prediction of the ultimate shaft resistances with pile set-up formulated using the pile resistance growth rate-dependent model. The timeframe of interest was studied for a practical set-up magnitude such as 90% of the ultimate shaft resistance (Q₉₀). As an application of the rate-dependent model, it was found that piles at the LA-1 relocation project, in general, reached about 95% of the ultimate shaft resistances at the time of 2 weeks after pile installation. The strategy of incorporation of pile set-up in adjusting pile driving criteria or/and design during pile construction, such as the experience-based plan of a two-week waiting period adopted by Louisiana DOTD, was investigated and justified.     

Load–settlement behavior of rock-socketed drilled shafts using Osterberg-Cell tests

Osterberg-Cell (O-Cell) tests are widely used to predict the load–settlement behavior of large-diameter drilled shafts socketed in rock. The loading direction of O-Cell tests for shaft resistance is opposite to that of conventional downward load tests, meaning that the equivalent top load–settlement curve determined by the summation of the mobilized shaft resistance and end bearing at the same deflection neglects the pile-toe settlement caused by the load transmitted along the pile shaft. The emphasis is on quantifying the effect of coupled shaft resistance, which is closely related to the ratios of pile diameter to soil modulus (D/E_s) and total shaft resistance to total applied load (R_s/Q) in rock-socketed drilled shafts, using the coupled load-transfer method. The proposed analytical method, which takes into account the effect of coupled shaft resistance, was developed using a modified Mindlin’s point load solution. Through comparisons with field case studies, it was found that the proposed method reasonably estimated the load-transfer behavior of piles and coupling effects due to the transfer of shaft shear loading. These results represent a significant improvement in the prediction of load–settlement behaviors of drilled shafts subjected to bi-directional loading from the O-Cell test.     

Limiting equilibrium method for slope/drilled shaft system

The use of drilled shafts to stabilize an unstable slope has been a widely accepted practice. There are two basic design and analysis issues involved: one is to determine the global factor of safety of the drilled shafts stabilized slope and the other one is to determine the design earth thrust on the drilled shafts for structural design of the shafts. In this paper, a limiting equilibrium method of slices based solution for calculating global factor of safety (FS) of a slope with the presence of a row of drilled shafts is developed. The arching mechanisms due to the presence of the drilled shafts on slope were taken into account by a load transfer factor. The method for calculating the net force applied to the drilled shaft from the soil mass was also developed. The interrelationships among the drilled shaft location on the slope, the load transfer factor, and the global FS of the slope/shaft system were derived utilizing the developed numerical closed‐form solution. An illustrative example is presented to elucidate the use of the solution in optimizing the location of the drilled shafts on slope to achieve the desired global factor of safety of the slope/shaft system. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Load transfer analysis of rock-socketed drilled shafts by coupled soil resistance

The load distribution and deformation of rock-socketed drilled shafts subjected to axial loads are evaluated by a load transfer method. The emphasis is on quantifying the effect of coupled soil resistance in rock-socketed drilled shafts using 2D elasto-plastic finite element analysis. Slippage and shear-load transfer behavior at the pile–soil interface are investigated by using a user-subroutine interface model (FRIC). It is shown that the coupled soil resistance acts as pile-toe settlement as the shaft resistance is increased to its ultimate limit state. Based on the results obtained, the coupling effect is closely related to the ratio of the pile diameter to soil modulus (D/E_s) and the ratio of total shaft resistance against total applied load (R_s/Q). Through comparison with field case studies, the 2D numerical analysis reasonably estimated load transfer of pile and coupling effect, and thus represents a significant improvement in the prediction of load deflections of drilled shafts.     

Reliability analysis of drilled shaft behavior using finite difference method and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Monte Carlo</Emphasis> simulation

Load displacement analysis of drilled shafts can be accomplished by utilizing the “t-z” method, which models soil resistance along the length and tip of the drilled shaft as a series of springs. For non-linear soil springs, the governing differential equation that describes the soil-structure interaction may be discretized into a set of algebraic equations based upon finite difference methods. This system of algebraic equations may be solved to determine the load–displacement behavior of the drilled shaft when subjected to compression or pullout. By combining the finite difference method with Monte Carlo simulation techniques, a probabilistic load–displacement analysis can be conducted. The probabilistic analysis is advantageous compared to standard factor of safety design because uncertainties with the shaft–soil interface and tip properties can be independently quantified. This paper presents a reliability analysis of drilled shaft behavior by combining the finite difference technique for analyzing non-linear load–displacement behavior with Monte Carlo simulation method. As a result we develop probabilistic relationships for drilled shaft design for both total stress (undrained) and effective stress (drained) parameters. The results are presented in the form of factor of safety or resistance factors suitable for serviceability design of drilled shafts.     

Estimating Pile Set-up Using 24-h Restrike Resistance and Computed Static Capacity for PPC Piles Driven in Soft Lousiana Coastal Deposits

In this paper, the CPT-based predicted ultimate pile resistances (R_p) were compared with the measured pile resistances (R_m) at different elapsed time for the piles driven into saturated soft clays where piles displayed significant set-up effect. The measured pile resistances were based on 115 restrike records collected from 95 production piles, and 74 records of 9 tested piles. The predicted ultimate pile resistances were calculated from the LCPC, the Schmertmann, and the de Ruiter–Beringen methods, respectively. With the significant pile set-up effect taken into account, the relationship between measured resistances and predicted capacities at different times after pile installation were investigated. The ratios of the measured pile resistances to the predicted capacities scattered in a large spectrum. The ratios fluctuated and stayed within a range of 0.6–1.6 for different CPT methods since end of initial driving until more than 2 months after pile installation. Plots of the ratios versus the predicted pile capacities using different CPT methods have revealed that the ratio (R_m/R_p) presented a strong dependence on the predicted capacities. Great research efforts have been devoted to the analyses of the ratios of the 24-h measured resistance to the predicted capacity based on different CPT methods, in an attempt to find a feasible empirical correlation. It is found that a simple linear relationship exists between the quad root of the ratio and the predicted capacity. The developed empirical equations will give pile foundation engineers an insight into the ultimate resistances of driven piles demonstrating significant pile set-up effects. Pile set-up makes pile resistances grow with time, and it might be one of the reasons that cause the frequently reported large discrepancy between calculated static capacity and measured resistance at a certain time after pile installation.     

Evaluating accuracy for two empirical methods in predicting settlement of drilled shafts

Several theoretical, empirical and semi-empirical methods are available in the literature to predict settlement of drilled shafts in sandy soils. In the Arabian Gulf countries, specifically in the United Arab Emirates, equations and procedure from the rest of the world are being used in analysis and design of drilled shafts without proper validation. It is the aim of this study to assess the applicability and evaluate the accuracy of two well known, and commonly used methods for pile prediction in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), namely Vesic (1977) and Poulos (1979), via comparison with data from field pile load tests conducted on shafts drilled in the region. Some of these tests were conducted for the purpose of this study, while others were made available through the courtesy of International Piling Contractors who are active in the region (e.g. Bauer International and Swiss Borings). Pile load test data were analyzed to back-calculate the model parameters related to settlement under different loading stages. Geological data and soil properties were obtained from studies conducted at the relevant sites. An effort is made to correlate soil properties with the prediction models. Statistical analysis is conducted to assess the accuracy of the results obtained from the two methods at different stages of loading via those obtained from pile load tests. Moreover, a detailed parametric study is conducted to assess the effect of the related parameters on the predicted pile settlement and the estimated settlement at different stages of loading. The study concluded with a recommendation of the most appropriate models and procedures to be followed for predicting the settlement of drilled shafts in the UAE, together with useful charts and correlation relations. Results showed that settlement values predicted by Vesic (1977) and Poulos (1979) overestimates the true values. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Extrapolation of O-cell drilled shaft tests for load and resistance factor design (LRFD) calibration

Load tests of drilled shafts are often performed using Osterberg cell (O-cell) testing, a popular load test method for drilled shafts, which measures both side and tip resistance. However, it is common that only one of the resistance components can be fully mobilized. Therefore, extrapolation of the partially mobilized resistance is often required to determine the total resistance or the equivalent top-down curve. The extrapolation tends to introduce errors to the constructed total resistance values, which subsequently affect the calibrated resistance factors required for the LRFD design of drilled shafts. In this study, eight O-cell tests of drilled shafts with total measured resistances close to the failure criteria defined by FHWA, 5% of the shaft diameter (B), were collected among 64 drilled shaft load tests from Louisiana and Mississippi. For each of the eight cases, extrapolation was performed on both tip and side movement curves for the construction of the equivalent top-down load-settlement (ELT) curves. Data points from the measured side or tip movement curve were removed systematically to create a total of 80 cases with partially mobilized movement curves, and extrapolation exercises were performed on each fabricated case to obtain its equivalent top-down curve. The error of bias for each fabricated case was determined for statistical analyses. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed on the bias errors to model the bias errors caused by extrapolation. Calibrated resistance factors were determined and compared between the original database and fabricated database needing extrapolation. A correction method is proposed, based on a linear regression relationship, to estimate and minimize the extrapolation error of bias for less mobilized databases.

     

Axial service limit state analysis of drilled shafts using probabilistic approach

Drilled shafts are, typically, designed by considering the axial ultimate limit state. In this design methodology, the axial displacement requirements are verified once the design is completed. As an alternative, drilled shafts may be designed by considering the axial service limit state. Service limit state foundation design is more efficient when done using the load and resistance factor design (LRFD) approach. Furthermore, reliability may be rationally incorporated into the design process that utilizes the LRFD method. In this paper, we develop probabilistic approaches for axial service limit state analysis of drilled shafts. The variability of shaft-soil interface properties is modeled by lognormal probability distribution functions. The probability distributions are combined with a closed-form analytical relationship of axial load-displacement curves for drilled shafts. The closed-form analytical relationship is derived based upon the “t–z” approach. This analytical relationship is used with the Monte Carlo simulation method to obtain probabilistic load-displacement curves, which are analyzed to develop methods for determining the probability of drilled shaft failure at the service limit state. The developed method may be utilized to obtain resistance factors that can be applied to LRFD based service limit state design.     

Side resistance of drilled shafts in granular soils investigated by DEM

The paper presents a numerical study on the side resistance of a drilled shaft in granular materials. The numerical result is used to develop new design equations for the side resistance of drilled shafts in granular soils. The Discrete Element Method (DEM) is used to model a drilled shaft in granular material. The granular material is represented as assemblies of ellipsoidal particles. Nominal side resistance is represented as the product of a parameter (β) and vertical stress. The numerical result shows that the relationship between β and void ratio can be described by a hyperbolic function for a given vertical stress. DEM result is also compared with three design equations. Although these design equations capture the decrease of β with depth, deviation is observed between the DEM results and the design equations. Finally, new design equations based on state parameter are proposed.     

Interpreting the behavior of laterally loaded drilled shaft from measured deflection data

The drilled shafts have been widely used to support lateral loads (active load case) or as a means to stabilize an unstable slope (passive load case) due to their large lateral load resistance and structural capacity for shear and bending moments. However, there is a need to develop an analytical procedure that can use the actual measured deflection data of a drilled shaft subject to either active or passive load case to interpret the soil‐drilled shaft interaction behavior. The mathematical formulation and the accompanied numerical procedure based on the principle of superposition were developed in this paper to allow for deducing the relevant soil‐drilled shaft interaction behavior under the applied lateral load (i.e. net soil reaction force on the drilled shaft, the shear and bending moment in the shaft) from the measured deflection data. Both compatibility and force equilibrium conditions were utilized in formulating the mathematical equations for common single drilled shaft boundary conditions (free head and fixed bottom). The current application is limited to small deformation to meet the requirement that the drilled shaft responds in a linear elastic range. A total of three theoretical cases, along with two actual field cases, were used to demonstrate the validity of the proposed method and its engineering applications. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental study,numerical modeling of and axial prediction approach to base grouted drilled shafts in cohesionless soils

The pressure grouting of drilled shaft tips has become popular worldwide due to its effectiveness in mobilizing a larger portion of the available tip resistance under service displacements. This paper presents experimental and numerical studies on the load transfer mechanism and factors controlling the axial response of base grouted drilled shafts in cohesionless soils. The study found that the increased axial capacity of grout-tipped drilled shafts under service loads and displacements depended mainly on preloading effects and the increased tip area provided by the grouting process. A simple prediction approach for estimating the tip capacity of grouted shafts utilizing cone penetration resistance was suggested based on the results of the study. The validity of the proposed approach was verified by the analysis of full-scale case studies of grouted shafts reported in the literature.     

The Shaft Capacity of Displacement Piles in Clay: A State of the Art Review

The rapid expansion of the offshore wind sector, coupled with increasing demand for high rise structures, has placed renewed demand on the driven piling market. In light of this industry growth, this paper reviews the evolution of design approaches for calculating the shaft capacity of displacement piles installed in cohesive soils. The transition from traditional total stress design towards effective stress methods is described. Complex stress–strain changes occur during pile installation, equalisation and load testing and as a consequence, the selection of parameters for use in conventional earth-pressure type effective stress approaches is not straight-forward. These problems have led to the development of empirical correlations between shaft resistance and in situ tests, such as the cone penetration tests. However, many of these approaches are limited because they were developed for specific geological conditions. Significant insight into pile behaviour has been obtained from recent model pile tests, which included reliable measurements of radial effective stresses. These tests have allowed factors such as friction fatigue and interface friction to be included explicitly in design methods. Whilst analytical methods have been developed to investigate pile response, these techniques cannot yet fully describe the complete stress–strain history experienced by driven piles. The use of analytical methods in examining features of pile behaviour, such as the development of pore pressure during installation and the effects of pile end geometry on pile capacity, is discussed.     

基于光纤传感技术静压桩承载力时效性机理分析

在桩身预埋FBG（fiber bragg gating）光纤传感器,利用静压桩隔时复压试验的优势,观测开口PHC管桩的承载力、桩端阻力以及桩侧摩阻力随休止时间的变化情况。试验表明,桩极限承载力在沉桩结束一定时间范围内随时间大致呈对数型增长,沉桩284 h后提高幅度达140%,时效性系数为0.52;桩端阻力和桩侧摩阻力在休止期内的提高幅度分别为6.28%和475.37%,说明试验场地条件下试桩承载力的提高主要源于桩侧摩阻力。试验结果显示,桩极限承载力及桩侧摩阻力的发展符合3阶段增长模型,时间界点分别为21.5 h和279 h。研究成果可为基桩时效性研究及相关设计提供依据。     

Numerical analysis on post-grouted drilled shafts: A case study at the Brazo River Bridge,TX

This paper investigates the effects of post-grouting on the behavior of drilled shafts using a case study carried out at the Brazo River, Texas. Commercial finite element software, PLAXIS, was used to quantify the improvement of the tip resistance and side shear resistance of post-grouted drilled shafts (PGDS). The input material parameters of PLAXIS were initially estimated using CPT sounding results, and then the parameters were updated by calibrating the numerical results against full-scale STATNAMIC load test results. Based on the numerical analysis, the authors concluded that (1) the increase in total resistance of PGDS resulted from soil improvement at the shaft tip, (2) the apparent increase in side shear resistance resulted from side shear reversal that occurred during post-grouting, and (3) the apparent increase in the tip resistance of PGDS may be caused by stress relief of the grout. In addition, two approaches to estimate the resistance of PGDS were compared against numerical results. In this case study, the Axial Capacity Multiplier (ACM) approach over-predicted the total resistance whereas the Tip Capacity Multiplier (TCM) approach reasonably predicted the increase in total resistance.     

A study of the effect of driving on pre‐bored piles

A finite element model for pile‐driving analysis is developed and used to investigate the behaviour of pre‐bored piles, which are then driven the last 1.25 or 2.25 m to their final design depth. The study was conducted for the case of saturated clays. The model traces the penetration of the pile into the soil and accommodates for large deformations. The non‐linear behaviour of the clay in this study is predicted using the bounding‐surface‐plasticity model, as applied to isotropic cohesive soils. The details of the 3‐D numerical modelling and computational schemes are presented. A significant difference was observed in the pile displacement during driving, and in the computed soil resistance at the pile tip, particularly at the earliest driving stages. No difference in soil resistance at the soil pile interface along the pile shaft was detected between the pre‐bored piles whether driven 1.25 or 2.25 m. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of failure of a bridge foundation under rock impact

A bridge pier supported on two drilled shafts collapsed due to the impact by a 130-ton rock in a landslide event. A series of static and dynamic numerical simulations is conducted using a nonlinear finite element analysis program to investigate the bearing behavior and responses of the bridge foundation under rock impact. The rock impact load is evaluated according to the site conditions. The deflection histories at the striking point and the internal forces in the drilled shafts during rock impacts in different directions are analyzed. The bridge pier exhibits significant system effects: the failure of the bridge pier is initiated by the failure of one pier column or one drilled shaft first, followed by the failure of the entire pier. The effects of impact loading direction, striking location, and characteristics of impact load on the behavior of the bridge pier are examined through a parametric study. The capacities of the pier along different loading directions are different due to differences in the group effects of the drilled shafts. The bridge pier is strongest when the impact load is along the 45° direction with respect to the shaft row, and weakest when the impact load is perpendicular to the shaft row.     

苍峄铁矿带苍山县沟西西官庄矿区沟西矿段（凤凰山铁矿）主井井筒检查孔水文地质特征分析

苍峄铁矿带苍山县沟西西官庄矿区沟西矿段,又称凤凰山铁矿,为隐伏的鞍山式低品位铁矿,矿区水文地质条件属于中等型。对施工的主井、副井、进风井、东风井和西风井井筒检查孔进行了水文地质编录和分层抽水试验,以主井井筒检查孔为例,划分了4层含水段,求得了各含水层的水文地质参数,对荒径涌水量进行了预测;基本查明了井筒检查孔的含水性等水文地质特征,确定了注浆段,为矿山立井防治水方案提供了设计依据。     

Limit equilibrium based design approach for slope stabilization using multiple rows of drilled shafts

In this paper, a limiting equilibrium based methodology, incorporating the method of slices and arching effects of the drilled shafts, is developed for optimizing the use of multiple rows of drilled shafts. This proposed method is focusing on the number of rows, the location of each row, the dimension and spacing of the drilled shafts. Three design criteria are used for optimization: target global factor of safety, the constructability and service limit. A PC-based program called M-UASLOPE has been coded to allow for handling of complex slope geometry, soil profile, and ground water conditions. A design example is presented to illustrate the application of the M-UASLOPE program in the optimized design of multiple rows of drilled shafts for stabilizing the example slope.     

Piles shaft capacity from CPT and CPTu data by polynomial neural networks and genetic algorithms

Cone penetration test (CPT) is one of the most common in situ tests which is used for pile design because it can be realized as a model pile. The measured cone resistance (q_c) and sleeve friction (f_s) usually are employed for estimation of pile unit toe and shaft resistances, respectively. Thirty three pile case histories have been compiled including static loading tests performed in uplift, or in push with separation of shaft and toe resistances at sites which comprise CPT or CPTu sounding. Group method of data handling (GMDH) type neural networks optimized using genetic algorithms (GAs) are used to model the effects of effective cone point resistance (q_E) and cone sleeve friction (f_s) as input parameters on pile unit shaft resistance, applying some experimentally obtained training and test data. Sensitivity analysis of the obtained model has been carried out to study the influence of input parameters on model output. Some graphs have been derived from sensitivity analysis to estimate pile unit shaft resistance based on q_E and f_s. The performance of the proposed method has been compared with the other CPT and CPTu direct methods and referenced to measured piles shaft capacity. The results demonstrate that appreciable improvement in prediction of pile shaft capacity has been achieved.