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By Julie Hampden, Tim Dardis, Per Reinhall

"Noise from impact pile driving can harm fish, marine mammals and other sensitive wildlife over large areas. Marine pile driving is highly regulated, and regulators require sound levels to be below certain thresholds to avoid harassment and injury to sensitive marine life. In many locations, timing restrictions, use of noise attenuation technologies and extensive monitoring for impacts to wildlife are also required. As a result, permitting can be laborious and time consuming, and project implementation and scheduling can be complicated. Underwater noise levels are measured with an underwater microphone (hydrophone), which converts noise pressure to voltage and is calibrated to express the noise pressure in Pascals (Pa). The pressure is often expressed using a logarithmic scale, in decibels (dB). Several specific metrics can be used to describe underwater noise. Three common metrics are the instantaneous peak sound pressure level (dBpeak), the root mean square pressure level (dBRMS) and the sound exposure level (dBSEL) referred to as the peak, RMS and SEL levels, respectively.During impact pile driving, the peak pressure represents the instantaneous maximum pressure, either overpressure or underpressure, observed during each pile strike. The RMS level is the square root of the mean of the square of the pressure during the duration of the impulse; it is the average pressure level of the pile strike from beginning to end. The cumulative SEL (SELcum) is calculated by summing the cumulative pressure squared and integrating over time of duration of the pile strike. SEL is used as an indication of the cumulative energy of a pile driving event, which may consist of one or many pile strikes.Regulatory agencies use these metrics to help characterize the noise pressure levels that can affect sensitive species. Some of the most frequently encountered biological thresholds in the Northwestern United States that are used by regulators to describe potential impacts to sensitive species are summarized in the following table. Agencies have defined thresholds for different types of injury, either hearing or bodily harm, and for temporary injury or disturbance."

Jan 1, 2017

By C. W. Sheng

In this paper conventional construction procedure is briefly described for the installation of stone columns in soft ground in China. A viewpoint concerning the mechanism of ground improvement by use of stone columns is presented for discussion. Based on the information obtained from field measurement and observation three important problems relating to the construction and design of stone columns are discussed. Finally, a case history is given to show that short stone columns floating within the weak soil layers may in some instance be used to improve the weak strata of great thickness.

Jan 1, 2010

By Rouzbeh Vakili, Adel M. Hanna

"The application of piled raft foundations has significantly increased during the last few years. In this system, the raft and the pile group collectively transfer the applied building load to the underlying soil layers. Determination of load sharing between the raft and the piles derives the complexity of piled raft designs due to its multi-parameter nature. These parameters are but not limited to: soil density, pile length, pile spacing, raft geometry, and piles installation technique. This study is to examine experimentally the effect of sand density and pile installation techniques on the load sharing mechanism. Experimentally, tests were conducted on a square rigid raft with a single pile in sand under three different soil densities; 30%, 45%, and 60%. The experimental results are used to determine the pile and the raft shares in non-displacement and displacement piled raft systems. The results of this study reveal that soil density changes the load sharing of displacement piled raft; the pile share increases in higher soil density. However, this is not the case in non-displacement piled raft and load sharing is independent of soil density in working loads.IntroductionThe piled raft foundation is a combination of shallow and deep foundation which transfers the superstructure load to the soil by a complex soilstructure interaction. The interacting mechanism among foundation elements and their surrounding soil is illustrated schematically in Figure 1 and could be classified into two categories: (1) pile-soil-pile and (2) pile-soil-raft. The pile-soil-pile interaction is the same as the free standing pile group and is a function of pile spacing and pile installation method. Pile-soil-raft interaction, which only involves in piled raft foundation design, could be affected by: the length, spacing, and roughness of the pile, the rigidity and dimension of the cap, soil condition, and the pile installation method. Pile-soil-raft interaction could have favourable and unfavourable effects on bearing capacity and settlement, respectively. The pressure between the cap and the soil favourably increases the horizontal stress on the pile shaft and consequently increase the shaft resistance. Whereas, this pressure induces negative skin friction on the piles which increases the settlement. The pile-soil-raft interaction mainly controls the load sharing mechanism of piled raft foundation when pile spacing (S) is more than 3.5dp."

Jan 1, 2017

By Sherrill Gardner

Vibratory drivers have been used since the 1930s to drive and extract piles. Vibratory pile drivers have the capability of significantly decreasing pile installation time, especially in granular type soils. However, they have not been widely accepted because of the uncertainty in estimating the bearing capacity of the driven pile. When driving bearing piles, the industry standard method for obtaining load carrying capacity of a pile installed with a vibratory driver is to redrive with an impact hammer. The advantage of improved productivity is lost with the redrive procedure. Currently, there is no other method to predict the capacity of these bearing piles installed with a vibratory driver. The Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory (NCEL) is making progress towards being able to estimate the bearing capacity of these piles. This paper describes field testing and corresponding analytical modeling of the vibratory driver-pile-soil system. The following sections describe the development of the numerical model and techniques for collecting field data. A discussion of the prediction of the pile driving process based on field test data is followed by suggestions as to the additional work that should be done to further verify the model to a point where it can be used with confidence.

Jan 1, 1987

By Craig M. Shillaber

On any given day, a simple check of the news will turn up stories related to sustainability, resiliency, climate, or human or natural disaster. In recent years, the winter power grid failure in Texas, the Surfside Condo collapse, unsafe drinking water in Flint, Michi- gan, the Oroville Dam spillway failure, wildfires and flooding (to name a few) have appeared in the U.S. news cycle. As a result, young people are aware of the problems and challenges facing the nation and the world and want to be part of creating sustainable solutions for society. Many choose to major in civil engineering because of a desire to make a difference, address climate change, and develop sustainable and resilient infrastructure for the future. Sustainability is at the core of modern civil engineering practice. In its Policy Statement 418, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) explains sustainability is a set of conditions where human society can indefinitely keep and enhance quality of life without deteriorating economic, environmental and social resources. Sustainability is an integral part of the technical outcomes identified in the ASCE Body of Knowledge and features prominently in the ethical responsi- bilities of engineers based on the latest version of the ASCE Code of Ethics. Thus, to prepare graduates for successful and ethical engineering practice, civil engineering programs must provide instruction in how to account for social, environmental and economic con- straints in design. Since the deep foundations industry is integral to the broader civil engineering and construc- tion fields and is responsible for supporting critical infrastructure on which human society depends, sustainability should be a key con- sideration in foundations projects. Given the importance of sustainability within civil, geotechnical and foundation engineering, it is worthwhile for the deep foundations industry to consider where and how engineers are trained in sustainability topics through higher education at the undergraduate and graduate level, and what is driving sustainability content in civil and geotechnical engineering curricula.

Nov 1, 2022

By Mark A. Rohrbach, Timothy R. Kovacs, PhD Saidin

"Crosshole Sonic Logging (CSL) testing is commonly used to verify the integrity, quality and ultimately the acceptability of the concrete in structural elements such as drilled shaft foundations, secant pile cutoff walls, and secant/tangent pile earth retention structures. Besides concrete quality, many factors can impact CSL test results (e.g. laitance, air temperature, access tube spacing, access tube debonding, etc.). Effective use of CSL testing requires fully informed qualified practitioners capable of distinguishing between abnormal readings unrelated to deficiencies in the drilled shaft concrete and similar readings indicating the presence or possible presence of drilled shaft defects. Based on data and experience gathered from CSL testing of thousands of drilled shafts across North America, this paper discusses such factors and other information useful when evaluating CSL test results, and provides practical recommendations intended to reduce the potential for incorrect test data interpretation. The CSL testing industry is lacking in a clear, universally accepted guideline for the interpretation of CSL data and acceptance criteria of these concrete elements. This paper proposes terminology and a streamlined process for use when atypical results are obtained. The proposed terminology and method are intended to simplify and expedite the submittal review and approval process. Because construction activities for these elements are often on the project’s critical path, the benefits obtained in terms of project savings and reducing costly delays areundoubtedly valuable.1. INTRODUCTIONCSL testing is used extensively throughout the world on many projects to verify the quality of concrete used for drilled shaft foundations, secant pile walls, diaphragm walls, etc. In this paper, these structural elements will be referred to as “drilled shafts,” as they are the most common subject of this test method. In the United States, CSL testing is frequently specified by state and regional transportation agencies, ports, design builders, and others. Although other methods are currently available such as Gamma-Gamma Logging and low-strain Impulse-Echo or Sonic-Echo testing, and new methods are under development such as the Thermal Integrity testing, CSL testing is likely to remain one of the most useful tools for evaluating the acceptability of constructed drilled shafts for quite some time. The popularity of CSL as a testing method can be attributed to two main factors: 1) there is no depth limitation to the method and 2) the apparent ease of interpreting the results. A third advantage of CSL testing is that, when correctly interpreted and with adequate test coverage, it is unlikely to misrepresent a defective profile resulting in acceptance of a defective or inadequate drilled shaft. In other words, CSL testing is very likely to underestimate concrete quality/drilled shaft acceptability within its area of coverage."

Jan 1, 2017

By Subrata Ray

A large no of power stations are being set up in Chandrapur area having coal deposits. Several industries are also coning up in this area. The subsurface is geologically formed under Gondwana system and consists of shale strata at depths ranging from 8 to 12 m. The stress deformation characteristics of shale exhibits wide variation because of it's geological origin. In view of this, a study was conducted on bored cast in-situ piles installed for a Switch yard project to evaluate load settlement characteristics of three test piles to understand the probable engineering behaviour of the material at the tip and the sides. An approach is developed to simulate the load settlement behaviour as observed in the field, theoretically. This is based on the concept of load transfer. The fit is obtained by varying the parameters, thus may be considered as iterative in nature. The theoretical curves closely matched the observed curves. The results of this study are presented in this paper.

Jan 1, 1996

By K. Oshima

In Japan, earthquakes are experienced frequently. Many buildings and structures in Japan are supported on pile foundations. For these pile foundations, the joint section between the piles and footing (hereinafter referred to as "Pile Head Joint"), where the load of the superstructure is transmitted to the ground through the piles, is important in both the design and construction of works particularly under seismic conditions. This paper discusses the state in which the force is transmitted to the Pile Head Joint, and introduces the basic construction of the Pile Head Joint, based on experimental investigation. Steel pipe piles

Jan 1, 2010

By Jesus Gomez, Mary Nodine

Rigid inclusions are widely used in the U.S. as a ground improvement tech- nique, particularly for industrial, low- rise and highway applications with poor subsurface conditions, where control of settlement is necessary. Rigid inclu- sions consist of grouted or concrete elements typically 12-24 in (305-610 mm) in diameter that may or may not be reinforced with a center bar. Typical soil conditions where rigid inclusions are feasible might consist of a surface layer of fill and natural, granular soil, followed by a stratum of soft silt or clay overlying a dense or stiff formation. Rigid inclusions are installed from the existing ground surface or suitable work platform, through the surface soils and through the soft, compressible layer, and into the deeper layer, which is less susceptible to compression- induced settlement. Typically, when used to support an extended area surcharge, the inclusions are installed in a rectangular or triangular pattern at regular spacings ranging from 5-12 ft (1.54 m), depending on a variety of factors. The rigid inclusion system is often capped with a load transfer platform (LTP), whose function is to direct a significant portion of the applied load toward the rigid inclu- sions. Additional load is transferred to the rigid inclusions through the upper fill soils above the compressible layer. The rigid inclusions transfer the applied load axially to their tips and into the deeper layer. In the U.S., rigid inclusions are mostly installed using displacement auger systems. The use of a dis- placement auger has significant advantages. It produces zero to near- zero spoils, which is an important environmental consideration. The

May 1, 2023

By Brunella Recinto

Pile loading tests are carried out with two main objectives: 1) evaluating the ultimate resistance; 2) checking the behaviour of the pile under live load. In the first case and particularly for large diameter bored piles the cost of a loading test may be very high. In the late '80s, a new method to perform static loading tests was proposed. It is based on the use of a sacrificial hydraulic jack placed at the pile toe. The device, internally pressurized, expanding applies an upward force on the pile shaft and an equal but opposite downward force on the soil beneath the pile toe. This device is well known as Osterberg's load cell, shortly O-cell. The obtained results are typically summarized in two separate load-movement curves: one for the shaft side shear resistance and another for the toe resistance. The two curves are used to build what is generally named the "equivalent head load-movement curve" relying upon two hypotheses: - the pile is rigid; - the load movement relationship for the shaft is not affected by the direction of movement. The former assumption can be easily removed, while it is not possible to remove the latter. On the validity of this latter hypothesis, comparisons between conventional head loading tests and toe loading tests could be very helpful. Unfortunately in the literature there are only a few case histories and most of them are also poorly documented. In order to explore limitations and potentialities of the new testing method, a finite element model has been set up. Results of simulations of conventional head loading tests and of O-cell tests are analyzed, discussed and compared.

Jan 1, 2003

By Peter Cali

There is one organization in Sweden, The Swedish Deep Stabilization Research Centre, which has been working with these questions and there is also a project, Eurosoilstab, within European Union to take a manual for deep stabilization.

Feb 10, 2003

By Hubert Law, Amin Rahmani

This paper evaluates the effects of pile diameter on the initial modulus of subgrade reaction and proposes modifications to the subgrade reaction moduli that are commonly used in the current state of practice based on American Petroleum Institute (API) guidelines. Three-dimensional continuum finite element model of a soil-pile system is simulated under monotonic lateral loadings to develop benchmark data. The benchmark data, which includes small (0.5 ft) to large (10 ft) diameter pile responses, is used to estimate the initial modulus of subgrade reaction for each of the considered pile sizes. The study shows that the subgrade reaction moduli provided by API may underestimate the actual soil stiffness at the soil-pile interface for large diameter piles and may overestimate it for piles smaller than a certain diameter. A simple equation is proposed herein to adequately estimate the initial modulus of subgrade reaction for all pile diameter ranges. The proposed equation is validated by the measurements of full-scale field tests.

By Sepideh Damavandinejad Monfared

"In recognition of the practicality of using inclined micropiles as elements for foundation support to resist static and seismic loading conditions, specifically in retrofitting projects, this study presents an investigation into the behavior of an inclined micropile subjected to simultaneous lateral load and bending moment. Three-dimensional numerical simulations are performed using the finite element method to assess the influence of micropile geometrical parameters such as angle of inclination, length, and diameter on the response of micropile-soil system. The Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion is used to define the behavior of soil and stabilized soil around micropile materials and the micropile, constructed of concrete and steel, is assumed to be elastic. The interaction between soil and micropile is taken into account by defining interaction elements covering both tangential and normal behavior. The study is carried out using nonlinear FEM analyses. The results of these simulations indicate that negative micropiles, in which slip surface deflects downward, have higher lateral load capacity than positive micropiles with slip surface deflecting upward. The conducted research also shows that increasing the diameter and the length of micropile increases the lateral load capacity. Increasing micropile diameter is more effective in increasing lateral load capacity. A relationship is developed from statistical regression analysis of the finite element modeling computations to estimate the lateral displacement of a micropile inclined at an angle of 30o in silty sands. IntroductionMicropiles are small diameter (typically less than 300 mm), cast-in-place, drilled, and grouted replacement piles with steel pipes which after being conceived in Italy (Lizzi,1978), were originally developed for underpinning existing structures (Bruce et al.,1990) to arrest and prevent structural movement, upgrade loadbearing capacity of existing structures, repair or replace deteriorating or inadequate foundations or raise settled foundations to their original elevation."

Jan 1, 2017

By Yong Jingrong

Based on the results of several test socketed piles in Sichuan, the mechanism of the deformation for a loaded socketed piles is investigated, and the concept of the socketed effect is proposed. The bearing capacity and settlement of socketed pile are controlled directly by socketed effect, that is an important mark different from the other types of cast-in-situ piles. According to the analysis of this effect and factors interferring it, their roles are discussed with the results of test piles. In order to increase the bearing capacity of piles, the ways and methods enhancing socketed effect are recommended.

Jan 1, 1991

By Ahmed H. Bukhary, Naser A. Al-Shayea

The objective is to assess the overconservatism in the parameters used for designing offshore piles. Methodology includes analysis of shaft friction data obtained from more than five different locations in the Arabian Gulf, consisting of 40 piles to depths up to 86 m. Reports were collected for both the dynamic pile monitoring system (DMS) and their corresponding geotechnical reports based on the American Petroleum Institute (API). The values of shaft capacity for the sand layers were analysed by comparing those based on API to the corresponding DMS values. Results of the comparison of the data from these reports showed that the pile design parameters obtained using API guidelines is generally smaller than that measured by DMS. The difference is presented in terms of an overconservative factor (OCF) which is adjusted based on statistical nonparametric test performed on the two data sets. The adjusted OCF were found to be 1.79 and 2.00 for carbonate sand at (loose to medium dense) and (dense to very dense) conditions, respectively. The corresponding values for silica sand were only 1.2 and 1.06. In conclusion, based on the evaluation conducted for data from these reports, the API shaft friction is overconservative for carbonate sand. The API shaft friction for piles in sand can be increased by multiplying it by the adjusted OCF.

By E. Ulrich Klotz

It is difficult to predict accurately the capacity of driven piles in sand. In practice, this uncer­tainty either leads to conservative designs if the capacity is under-predicted, or worse, if the capacity is over-predicted, it can lead to severe foundation problems. One significant possible cause of the problem is that currently available semi-empirical design methods do not capture the fundamental mechanisms that govern the load capacity of driven piles in sands. As part of a recent research project at City University centrifuge tests on a driven model pile in sands have been undertaken. A fully instrumented model pile was constructed and pushed into samples of quartz and carbonate sand thus covering a wide range of mineralogies. Tri-axial tests were used to determine the fundamental patterns of behavior of the sands. This allowed a general framework to be established, in which the in situ stress:volume relationship is shown to govern the capacity of the pile. The paper sets out with a brief introduction of the experimental techniques used in the study. The results of the pile tests are discussed in detail with particular attention given to distribution of the radial stresses along the pile shaft. Existing design methods for piles in sand are then discussed in the light of the new understanding gained from the research, highlighting their deficiencies and suggesting an improved approach.

Jan 1, 2002

By Cem Akgüner

The displacements of axially loaded single piles are analyzed with an approach based on elasticity. Young?s modulus and Poisson?s ratio of the soil encompassing a pile are the unknowns required as input to obtain predictions based on the elastic method. Attention is directed towards Young?s modulus because the range and variability of Poisson?s ratio is not significant in displacement calculations. A database of axial pile load tests established for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is investigated. All of the tested piles were driven into the ground. Measurements of displacements and loads were made only at the top of the pile. First the magnitude of displacements is determined up to loads that are half of the failure load measured from pile load tests. Various correlations for Young?s modulus are then employed to determine how accurately each predicts the actual measured displacement. The chosen correlations utilize the routinely available parameters of laboratory triaxial undrained shear strength for cohesive soils and standard penetration test blowcount for cohesionless soils.

Jan 1, 2008

By Frank Rausche

Although Quality Control (QC) during construction is preferable for deep foundations, there are many instances when it is necessary to resort to Quality Assurance (QA) methods if, for various reasons, QC is not possible. Non Destructive Testing (NDT) methods for deep foundations are indirect approaches, i.e. in complex situations they do not provide complete information and need to be augmented by additional testing and/or analyses. While the challenges are varied for the different deep foundation types and the different test methods they are the same in many different countries. Experience of the tester is often mentioned as being most important for a successful quality assurance. In addition, reliable testing equipment for the best possible measurements and complete construction documentation for a meaningful data interpretation are minimum requirements for a successful test outcome. Another problem is the widely varying cost of the QA tests. For that reason the specifying engineer or authority has to be aware of what can reasonably be expected so that technically feasible specifications can be written for optimal cost and minimal construction delays. This paper discusses the most common NDT methods with a view on how these methods are applied world wide. It summarizes features of specifications, recommendations for test procedures and advanced analysis methods which can help to overcome uncertainty in the quality assessment of the foundation. Finally, the authors propose a decision tree for various QA methods, deep foundation types and soil properties.

Jan 1, 2008

By Jorj O. Osterberg

This paper is for presentation at the 14th Annual Members Conference of the Deep Foundations Institute held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Baltimore Maryland on October 10, 1989. This is an introductory presentation of a one hour symposium on the applications of a new testing device. This paper discusses how the device works and its uses. Papers following this describe: - How the cell is constructed and calibrated - Two projects on which the device was used on long driven piles to determine the frictional capacity - A bridge project on which the device was used on an instrumented test drilled shaft and a working drilled shaft

Jan 1, 1989

By Wang Lushuang

This thesis is devoted to the research of the interaction between pile and foundation soil by boundary element method (BEM for short). The interaction is simulated by the interaction between two different elastic mediums. The foundation soil is simulated by the two-dimensional elastic half-plane, and the pile by the two-dimensional elastic finite plane. Therefore, the calculating models made by the paper's author would come more closed to the actual conditions. The elastic behaviour of the interaction between pile and soil, and the whole course of pile ultimate load are analysed in the thesis, and the relevant applied computer programs "BEME", "BEMPA" are designed by the paper's author. The bearing power of single pile can be worked out by the program "BEMPA", it has compared with staic loading tests of pile, and the results are in conformity to actual conditions. So it can be drawn that the BEM for studying on interaction between pile and foundation soil made in the thesis is more simple, more precise and more practical in actual project.

Jan 1, 1991