Lecture-10

Lecture-8
CE-430 (2 Credit Hours)
Foundation Engineering
Fall 2023

Piles
Instructor:

Dr. Muhammad Adeel Arshad

Courtesy:

Dr Irshad Ahmad
Department of Civil Engineering
University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar
1
 Factor of Safety
The base resistance requires a larger deformation for full mobilization than the shaft
resistance, therefore different values of load factor may be appropriate for the two
components, the higher factor being applied to the base resistance.

In the case of large-diameter bored piles, including underreamed piles, the shaft
resistance may be fully mobilized at working load and it is advisable to ensure a load
factor of 3 for base resistance, with a factor of 1 for shaft resistance, in addition to the
specified over all load factor (generally 2) for the pile.
 NEGATIVE SKIN FRICTION

When piles are driven through a layer of fill material which slowly compacts or
consolidates due to its own weight, or if the layers underlying the fill consolidate
under the weight of the fill, a downward drag is imposed in the pile shaft.

The skin friction between the pile and soil

therefore acts in a downward direction.
The force due to this downward or
negative skin friction is thus carried by the
pile instead of helping to support the
external load on the pile.

Negative skin friction increases gradually

as consolidation of the clay layer proceeds,
the effective overburden pressure gradually
increasing as the excess pore water
pressure dissipates.

𝑷𝒖 + 𝒒𝒔𝑵 𝑨𝒔𝑵 = 𝒒𝒃 𝑨𝒃 + 𝒒𝒔 𝑨𝒔

Negative skin friction

 NEGATIVE SKIN FRICTION

Where
qsN=Negative skin friction (downward)
AsN= corresponding surface area of pile
qs = skin friction (upward)
As=corresponding surface areas of pile
Ab= End bearing of pile.

qsN = ഥo For NCC, =0.25

It should be noted that there will be a reduction in effective overburden pressure

adjacent to the pile in the bearing stratum due to the transfer of part of the overlying
soil weight to the pile: if the bearing stratum is sand, this will result in a reduction in
bearing capacity beyond the critical depth.
Pile Group

5
 Pile Group

In practice, the foundation is likely to consist of a pile group. Generally, there

will be a minimum of two of three piles under a foundation element or footing to
allow for misalignments and other inadvertent eccentricities.

The group of piles is installed fairly close together (typically 2B-4B where B is
the width or diameter of a single pile) and joined by a slab, known as the Pile
Cap, cast on top of the piles. The cap is usually in contact with the soil in which
case part of the structural load is carried directly on the soil immediately below
the surface. The group of piles in this case is called piled foundation. If the cap
is clear of the ground surface, the piles in the group are referred to as free-
standing.

A group of free-standing piles

A group of piled foundation
 Load Distribution in Pile Group
It is generally assumed that the load distribution between the piles in an axially
loaded group is uniform.

SAND
However experimental evidence indicates that for a group in sand, the piles at the
center of the group carry greater loads than those on the perimeter.

CLAY
In clay, on the other hand, the piles on the perimeter of the group carry greater
loads than on those at the center.

Pile group in Sand Pile group in Clay Pile Group

GL

Load Distribution Uniform Load Distribution

 Overlapping of stress zones in Pile Group

4 piles contribution the stress in this zone

3 piles contribution the stress in this zone

2 piles contribution the stress in this zone

Note that adequate spacing of

the piles reduces the overlap
zones and the number of piles
contributing to zones
s
Stress surrounding a friction pile and the summing effects of a pile group
8
 Efficiency of Pile Group

In general, the ultimate load which can be supported by a group of N piles is not
equal to N times the ultimate load of a single isolated pile of the same
dimensions in the same soil. Where N is the number of piles in a group. So

Ultimate load of pile Group ≠ N  Ultimate load of single pile

The ratio of the average load per pile in a group at failure to the ultimate load for
a single pile is defined as the efficiency of the group ().

Average load per pile in a group at failure = (Ultimate group load)/N

=(Ultimate group load)/(N  Ultimate individual load)

 Pile Group in Cohesionless Soils

Efficiency of Pile Group in

SAND ()

Driven Piles in Bored Piles in

Sand Sand

Loose or Medium Dense Sand -  =2/3

Dense Sand  <1 - No
- Compaction of sand - Loosening of sand densification
b/w piles,  > 1 b/w piles b/w piles
- S=2-3B, = 1.3-2 - Overlapping of - Stress zones
- For design:  = 1 stress zone over lapped

Ultimate load of pile Group=   (N  Ultimate load of single pile)

10
 Pile Group in Cohesionless Soils

Driven Piles
The driving of a group of piles into loose sand or medium-dense sand causes
compaction of the sand between the piles, provided that the spacing is less than
about 8B: consequently the efficiency of the group is greater than unity. The
maximum efficiency is reached at a spacing of 2 to 3 diameters and generally
ranges between 1.3 to 2. It is recommended that in this case the design value of
=1 be taken.

In the case of piles driven into dense sand, the group efficiency is less than unity
due to loosening of the sand and the overlapping of stress zones.

Bored Piles
However, for a group of bored piles the efficiency may be as low as 2/3 because
the sand between the piles is not compacted during installation but the stress zones
of adjacent piles will overlap.

11
 Pile Group in Cohesive Soils (Block Failure)

A closely spaced group of piles (spacing = 2B to 3B) in clay may fail as a unit,
with shear failure taking place around the perimeter of the group and below the area
covered by the piles and the enclosed soil. This is referred to as Block Failure.

Top view Front view

Bg

Lg
D

Block failure of pile group in clay

 Pile Group in Cohesive Soils

The ultimate load in the case of a pile group which fails

as a block is given by

𝑃𝑢𝑔 = 𝐴𝑏𝑔 𝑞𝑏 + 𝐴𝑠𝑔 ത

𝑞𝑠 Pu
𝑞ത𝑠 = 𝑐𝑢ҧ

𝑷𝒖𝒈 = 𝑵𝒄 𝒄𝒖𝒃 𝑩𝒈 𝑳𝒈 + 𝒄ത 𝒖 𝟐𝑫𝒇 𝑩𝒈 + 𝑳𝒈

Abg= Base are of the group = Bg  Lg

Asg= Perimeter area of the group = 2Df(Bg + Lg)
cub= Undrained shear strength at depth Df
𝒄ത 𝒖 = Average undrained shear strength between 0 and Df
below the ground
𝒄ത 𝒖 𝒄ത 𝒖
𝑞𝑏 = 𝑐𝑢𝑏 𝑁𝑐

Where
𝐵𝑔 𝐷𝑓
𝑁𝑐 = 5.14 1 + 0.2 1 + 0.053 9
𝐿𝑔 𝐵𝑔
 Design Ultimate Load of Pile Group In Clays

Piled Foundation
Piles

GL

Design Ultimate Piled (1) Block Failure value

Foundation Load

Minimum of
(2) The sum of the individual pile
values=N  Single Pile Capacity

Pile Group/Free
standing Piles
(1) Block Failure value
GL
Design Ultimate
Pile Group Load Minimum of
(2) 2/3 of the sum of the individual
pile values =2/3N  Single Pile
Capacity
 Example

Determine the safe load capacity for a square group of 9 piles in cohesive soil. Safety factor
2.5 against block failure. =20 kN/m3, cu at the base 85.4 kPa, average undrained shear
strength 𝑐𝑢ҧ =60.2 kPa, u=0. Pu for single pile is equal to 819 kN.

Given Data
No of piles = n = 9, =20 kN/m3, cu (base) = 85.4 kN/m2, cu (avg.) = 60.2 kPa
Pu (single pile) = 819 kN

Required
Safe Load Capacity of pile group = Pug

15
Base Resistance
 (1) Block Failure value=10392 kN

Piled Minimum
Foundation of (1) & (2) (2) The sum of the individual pile values=N 
Single Pile Capacity=9819=7371 kN

Minimum of (a) & (b) is selected for Pu (group)= 7371 kN

17
 Settlement of Single Pile
Pile Group
Consolidation Settlement:
Consolidation settlement is of the order of 15% of the total settlement for individual piles driven
through saturated clay, and generally is not explicitly calculated.

Immediate Settlement:
The major part of the settlement of a single pile will develop immediately after the load is applied
(immediate, or elastic settlement). For immediate settlement calculation of a single pile, we would
use a empirical method
Empirical Method
The settlement of a displacement pile for working loads may be estimated by the following
relationship (Vesic, 1970)
𝐷 𝑄𝑎𝑣 𝐿
𝑆𝑡 = +
100 𝐴𝑝 𝐸𝑝
Where
St = Settlement of single (in)
D= Pile diameter, (in)
Qav = Applied Pile Load, lb
Ap= Cross sectional Area of Pile (in2)
L=length of pile (in)
Ep= Modulus of Elasticity of Pile material , lb/in2

18
 Settlement of pile group

The settlement of pile group is always greater than the settlement of a corresponding
single pile, as a result of the overlapping of the individual zones of influence of the
piles in the group. The bulbs of pressure of a single pile and a pile group (with piles
of the same length as the single pile) are of the form illustrated in figure below. The
settlement ratio of a group is defined as the ratio of the settlement of the group to
the settlement of a single pile when both are carrying the same proportion of their
ultimate load.
It should be appreciated that settlement is normally the limiting design criterion for
pile groups in both sands and clays.

Bulbs of pressure for a single and a pile group 19

 SAND: Settlement
Settlement of Pile
of Pile Group
Group

For Pile Group (Vesic, 1977)

𝐵𝑔
𝑆𝐺 = 𝑆𝑡
𝐷

Where
St = Settlement of single (in)
SG = Group Settlement at load per pile equal to that of the single pile (in)
D= Pile diameter, (in)
𝐵𝑔 = 𝑊𝑖𝑑𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑃𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑝 (𝑖𝑛) (smaller dimension)

20
 Example
A pile group consisting of nine 12 in diameter steel pile driven 4 ft
center to center to 30 ft into sand at a site is shown below. Estimate
the pile group settlement. Assume Qva=31 kips
Given 4 ft
Qva=31 kips
B=12 inches
S=4 ft
Df=30 ft
Ep= 30106 psi 𝐵𝑔 =9 ft
Solution

𝐷 𝑄𝑎𝑣 𝐿
𝑆𝑡 = +
100 𝐴𝑝 𝐸𝑝
122
𝐴𝑝 =  = 113.1 𝑖𝑛2
4
Settlement of single pile BY Empirical Formula Settlement of Pile Group
(Vesic, 1970)
𝐵𝑔
𝑆𝐺 = 𝑆𝑡
12 313012 𝐷
𝑆𝑡 = + = 0.12 𝑖𝑛
100 113.130106 912
𝑆𝐺 = 0.12 = 0.36 𝑖𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠
12
𝑆𝑡 = 0.12 𝑖𝑛
21
 Settlement of pile group
Settlement of pileingroup
sand-Based
in sand on SPT
No general theory to predict pile group settlements in cohesionless soils is
available. Many empirical and semiempirical methods with gross
approximations are available but cannot be recommended without
reservations.
For a Pile Group in homogeneous sand and not underlain by a more
compressible soil layer at a greater depth, settlement of pile group may be
estimated by: (Meyerhof Method 1976)
ഥ
𝒔𝒈 (𝑖𝑛𝑐ℎ) = 𝟐𝒑 𝑩𝒈 𝑰/𝑵 (tons/ft2) ഥ
𝒔𝒈 (𝑚𝑚) = 𝒑 𝑩𝒈 𝑰/𝑵 (kPa)

Where Where
Sg= Pile group settlement (inch) Sg= Pile group settlement (mm)
p=net foundation pressure, in kPa
p=net foundation pressure, in tons/ft2
𝑩𝒈 =Width of pile group, in meter
𝑩𝒈 =Width of pile group, in feet

ഥ =average corrected standard penetration test values, in

𝑵 𝐵𝑔
blows/ft (blows per 0.3m) within the seat of settlement (roughly
equal to 𝑏ത in homogeneous soils)

𝑫𝒇
𝑰 = 𝟏− ≥ 𝟎. 𝟓
𝟖𝑩𝒈

Df= effective depth in the bearing stratum=pile length

For silty sand, the value of Sg obtained from equation 𝐵𝑔
should be doubled
 Settlement
Settlementof
ofpile
pilegroup
groupin
insand
sand
A pile group consisting of nine 12 in diameter steel pile
driven 4 ft center to center to 30 ft into sand at a site is
shown below. The sand had =36 and =125 lb/ft3.
Estimate the pile group settlement.
4 ft

𝐵𝑔 =9 ft

Zone of influence 9 ft (equal to 𝑩𝒈 depth

below group base)

12 + 14 + 14
𝑁= = 13
3

𝐼
𝑆𝐺 = 2𝑝 𝑩𝒈
ഥ
𝑁
23
 𝐼
𝑆𝐺 = 2𝑝 𝑩𝒈
ഥ
𝑁

𝑄𝐺 𝑎𝑙𝑙 281 𝑘𝑖𝑝𝑠

𝑃= = = 3.47 2 = 1.735 𝑡𝑠𝑓
𝐵𝑔 𝐵𝑔 99 𝑓𝑡

𝐷𝑓
𝐼 = 1− 0.5
8𝐵𝑔

30
𝐼 = 1− 0.5
89

𝐼 = 0.580.5

𝐼 = 0.58

𝐼
𝑆𝐺 = 2𝑝 𝑩𝒈
ഥ
𝑁

0.58
𝑆𝐺 = 23.47 9
13
𝑆𝐺 = 0.464 𝑖𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠 24