13.2 A static pile load test was carried on a 0.

8 m diameter pile installed 21 m into a loose to medium

sandy soil. The pile was driven into the soil. Selected load-displacement data are shown in the
table below. (a) Determine the allowable load if the serviceability limit state is 12 mm. (b) Is the
maximum load the ultimate load? Justify your answer. (c) Discuss some of the issues you would
consider in the interpretation of the data.

Load (kN) 0 800 1100 2250 2800 3200 3500 3600 3620 3618

Displacement (mm) 0 2.5 3.8 7.5 10 12.5 15 20 21 26

Solution 13.2

4000
3500
3000
2500

Load (kN) 2000

1500
1000
500
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Vertical displacement (mm)

(a) Allowable load at displacement of 12 mm = 3100 kN

(b) It appears so because the load seems to reach a plateau
Solution 13.4

Pile : Area = 0.16 m 2 , Perimeter = 1.41m

Layer 1 + medium clay Layer 2 = Stiff clay
Assume L = 12 m
LAYER 1:
5
 z  17   42.5 kPa
2
f s = 0.5 su 'zo  0.5 30  42.5  17.9kPa
f s = 0.5su0.75  'zo   0.5 300.75  42.5
0.25
 16.4kPa
0.25

Use fs = 16.4 kPa

β  1  sincs'   OCR  tani  1  sin30 1.6  tan30  0.365
0.5 0.5
LAYER 2:

( )( )

( ) ( )( )
f s = 0.5 su 'zo  0.5 60 116.5  41.8kPa
f s = 0.5su0.75  'zo   0.5 600.75 116.5
0.25
 35.4kPa
0.25

Use fs = 35.4 kPa

β  1  sincs'   OCR  tani  1  sin24  4  tan24  0.528
0.5 0.5

( ) ( )

Qult  2  275  550kN

TSA
Qult = Perimeter  f s L  N c  su b Ab
 1.41(16.4  5  35.4  7)  9  60  0.16  551kN  Qult

ESA

Qult = perimeter βi  'z   length i  N q  σ'z  Ab

j

i b
i =1

 1.41(0.365  42.5  5  0.528 116.5  7)  12.3 148  0.16  1008kN

TSA governs design, L = 12 m is satisfactory

 
 
13.11 The soil profile and soil properties at a site are shown in the table below. A group of 12 concrete
piles in a 3 × 4 matrix and of length 12 m is used to support a load. The pile diameter is 0.45 m
and pile spacing is 1.5 m. Determine the allowable load capacity for a factor of safety of 2.
Calculate the total settlement (elastic and consolidation) under the allowable load. Assume Ep = 20
× 106 kPa.

Depth (m) Type of deposit Soil test results

0 to 3 Sand  = 17 kN/m3, cs'  28º
Groundwater level at 3 m Eso = 19 MN/m2
3 to 6 Sand sat = 17.5 kN/m3,
cs'  30º
Eso = 18 MN/m2
6 to 15 Clay sat = 18.5 kN/m3,
cs'  27º
su = 30 kPa
Cc = 0.4, Cr = 0.06,
OCR = 1.5
Eso = 30 MN/m2, v′ = 0.3
sat = 18 kN/m , cs'  24º
15to 17 Soft clay 3

su = 20 kPa
Cc = 0.8, OCR = 1.0
Eso'  10 MN/m2 , v  0.3
>17 Rock

Solution 13.11

I
6m sand
9m
II

III clay

3m

3m

IV Soft clay

12 piles, 3x4 matrix, L = 12m D = 0.45m

s =3D = 3(0.45) = 1.35. Try s = 1.5m
2
Single pile: perimeter = D =1.41m, Area = 0.159 m
Group: perimeter = 2(2s + D) + 2(3s + D) = 2(2(1.5)+0.45) + 2(3(1.5) + 0.45) = 16.8 m
A b g = (2(1.5) + 0.45)(3(1.5) + 0.45) = 17.08 m 2

TSA – Block failure mode

Sand layer I
 = 0.28
L  3
At center: z   = 17   =25.5 kPa
2  2
Q f I =0.28 (25.5)(16.8)(3) = 360 kN
Sand Layer II
3
 z = 3(17) + (17.5 – 9.8) = 62.6 kPa
2
 = 0.29
Q f II = 0.29 (62.6)(16.8)(3) = 909 kN
Clay Layer III
fs = 20.3 kPa
Q f III = 20.8(16.8)(6) = 2097 kN
End Bearing: Q b = 9(30)(17.08) = 4612 kN
Total skin friction: Qf = 360+909+2097 = 3366 kN
Q ult = 3366 + 4612 = 7898 kN
TSA – single pile mode

Skin friction: Qf = 3366 x 1.41/16.8 = 283 kN

End Bearing: Q b == 4612 x 0.159/17.08 = 43 kN

Q ult = 9(283 + 43) = 2934 kN

Allowable load capacity

Qa  = 2934
= 1467 kN
2
Elastic Settlement (average from Layers I-III)

283
Qa = = 142 kN
2
e =
Qa
I
E so L
3(19)  3(18)  6(30) L 12
E p = 20 x 10 Pa ;
3
Es  = 24.5 MN m 2 , = = 26.7
12 D 0.45
I = 0.5 + log (L/D) = 0.5 + log (26.7) = 1.9
 142
es =  1.9  0.92 103 m  0.92 mm
 24.5  103  12
0.5
R s = 12 =3.5
 es g = 0.92(3.5) = 3 mm

Clay Layer III

Load is transferred to 2L/3 from surface
Depth to center of clay layer from load = 12/3 + 3/2 = 5.5m
1467
At center:  z =  15kPa
(3.45  5.5)(4.95  5.5)
At center: zo = 3  17 + 3(17.5 - 9.8) + 7.5(18.5 - 9.8)  139 kPa
 final = 139 + 15 = 154 kPa
zc = 1.5  154 = 231 kPa >  final
G e  
2.7  e o 
 sat =  s o  w ; 18.5 =  9.8 ; e o =0.91

 1 eo   1  eo 
3000  154 
 c =  0.06  log 10   = 4 mm
1  0.91  139 

Clay-Layer IV

Load is transferred to a depth of 2L/3

Depth of load to center of clay = 12/3 + 3 + 1 = 8 m
1467
At center:  z =  10kPa
(3.45  8)(4.95  8)
At center: zo = 3  17 + 3(17.5 - 9.8) + 9(18.5 - 9.8) + 1 (18 – 9.8)161 kPa
 final = 161 + 10 = 171 kPa
2.7  e o 18
= e o = 1.02
1  eo 9 .8
2000  171 
 c =  0.8  log    21 mm
1  1.02  161 

Total settlement = 3 + 4 + 21 = 28 mm
Solution 13.13
Pile group of 10 piles (drilled shafts)
Design load = 2 x 15 = 30 MN
Data
Straight, prismatic drilled shafts
Select units SI FS
Design load 350 kN Group
Shaft diameter 0.5 m Spacing
Top of base layer 2 m Matrix
Groundwater 2 m No. of piles
Use N values y Group width
Perimeter 1.57 m Group length
2
Area 0.20 m Perimeter
Max end bearing 2900 kPa Area
 Depth
to
layer Depth thickness center Soil Type Unit weight N60
m m m kN/m3
0 0 0 0 0 0
1 2 2 1 s 14 5
2 3 1 2.5 s 15 7
3 5 2 4 s 17 12
4 7 2 6 s 17.5 16
5 9 2 8 s 18 18
6 10 1 9.5 s 18 19
7 12 2 11 s 19 25
8 15 3 13.5 s 20.5 38
9 20 5 17.5 s 20.5 38
10 28 8 24 s 20.5 38

Calculate effective vertical stresses and skin friction factor (Eq. 13.42)

center center center base

Total Porewater Effective Effective

layer Depth stress pressure stress stress n 
m kPa kPa kPa kPa 
0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.00 0.00
1 2 14.0 0.0 14.0 0.33 1.20
2 3 35.5 4.9 30.6 33.2 0.47 0.52
3 5 60.0 19.6 40.4 47.6 0.80 0.81
4 7 94.5 39.2 55.3 63.0 1.00 0.90
5 9 130.0 58.8 71.2 79.4 1.00 0.81
6 10 157.0 73.5 83.5 87.6 1.00 0.74
7 12 185.0 88.2 96.8 106.0 1.00 0.69
8 15 234.8 112.7 122.1 138.1 1.00 0.60
9 20 316.8 151.9 164.9 191.6 1.00 0.48
10 28 450.0 215.6 234.4 277.2 1.00 0.30

Calculate shin friction and end bearing stress (Eq. 13.44)

ESA ESA

layer Depth fs fb
m kPa kPa
0 0 0.0 0.0
1 2 16.8 0.0
2 3 15.9 120.8
3 5 32.6 345.0
4 7 49.8 920.0
5 9 57.5 1035.0
6 10 62.2 1092.5
7 12 66.5 1437.5
 8 15 73.2 2185.0
9 20 78.3 2185.0
10 28 70.3 2185.0

Calculate load capacity for single pile mode failure and for block mode failure.
GROUP FAILURE MODE
SINGLE PILE BLOCK FAILURE
DIAMETER WIDTH
0.5 10.5
Depth Qult FRICTION END BEARING Qult
m ESA ESA ESA ESA
0 Qf Qb
MN MN MN MN
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
2 0.53 3.43 0.00 3.43
3 0.89 5.05 51.35 56.40
5 2.22 11.71 146.71 158.42
7 4.78 21.86 391.23 413.09
9 6.75 33.58 440.13 473.71
10 7.81 39.92 464.59 504.51
12 10.54 53.50 611.30 664.80
15 15.40 75.90 929.17 1005.07
20 21.51 115.84 929.17 1045.01
28 30.41 173.18 929.17 1102.35

Single pile (shaft) mode governs design.

The length for a design load of 30 MN is 28 m.