PILE FOUNDATION

In engineering analysis it is far

better to be near reality than
precisely close to fictitious
Gholamreza Mesri
Terzaghis Equations General Shear Failure

Terzaghis equations
Continuous footing with width B

qult = cN c D f N q 0.5BN

Circular footing with width B

qult = 1.3cN c D f N q 0.3BN

Square footing with width B

qult = 1.3cN c D f N q 0.4BN

 For Granular Soils

Terzaghis Equations Granular

Continuous footing with width B

qult = D f N q 0.5BN

Circular footing with width B

qult = D f N q 0.3BN

Square footing with width B

qult = D f N q 0.4BN
 For Cohesive Soils
Terzaghis Equations - Cohesive

Continuous footing with width B

qult = cN c D f N q

Circular footing with width B

qult = 1.3cN c D f N q

Square footing with width B

qult = 1.3cN c D f N q
 geotechnical strength vs.
structural strength of pile
Geotechnical strength is strength of
surrounding material in holding the pile

Structural strength is strength of structural

pile in holding the load
Geotechnical
Strength =

strength from
skin friction +

strength from
tip resistance
For Water:
Horizontal stress = vertical stress

For Sand
Horizontal stress = vertical stress (K)

At rest condition
K = 1-sin (f)
 Skin Friction (in Sand) vs. Depth Curve

Total Skin
Friction is
area
under this
curve

Critical
Depth
H 10D-20D

sv sh = Ksv Ksv(tand)(pD)
Ksv(tand)
Ksv(tand) Ksv(tand)(pD)
 Skin Friction of Pile in Sand
1. Critical depth is shallow for loose sand, deep for dense
sand
2. K is Coefficient of lateral earth pressure at rest
3. K low for loose sand, high for dense sand
4. K varies 0.6 - 1.25; If you have to pick a value, use 0.8 or 0.9
Where

tan d for concrete against sand is 0.45.

(values for other material is available in reference)

D is circumference of pile.

s h increases with depth but there is a limit.

Critical depth describes the limit which s h increases with depth. Critical
depth ranges from about 10 pile diameters to about 20 pile diameters
 Coefficient of friction (tan d)
between Sand and Pile Material

Material tan d
Concrete 0.45
Wood 0.4
Steel (smooth) 0.2
Steel (rough, rusted) 0.4
Steel (corrugated) Use tan f of sand
 End Resistance of Pile in Sand

At the tip:

qtip D f Nq 0.3BN (circular pile)

qtip D f Nq 0.4BN (square pile)

Or simply:

qtip pv N q (considering small B as compared with depth and critical depth around pile)

Due to displaced nature of soil around pile, Nq is modified to Nq* and chart is available
for value of Nq* against f.
Nq* vs f
DRIVEN
Values of Nq* For Driven and Drilled Piles

f Driven Drilled

20 8 4

25 12 5

28 20 8

30 25 12

32 35 17

34 45 22

36 60 30

38 80 40

40 120 60

42 160 80

45 230 115
Displacement and non-displacement pile (from another reference)
Limiting bearing capacity
 Skin friction of pile in Clay
Adhesion is the pulling together between pile skin and surrounding clay.

Cohesion is the pulling together between clay and clay.

f . Asurface c ( Adhesion )

Adhesion factor can be referred to certain figure.

As clay gets stiffer, adhesion factor becomes less (generally).

Adhesion factor ranges from 1 (when qu = 0 kPa) to 0.4 (when qu = 300 kPa)

Skin friction is a function of adhesion. Adhesion is a function of cohesion.

Adhesion changes with time after pile driving but cohesion does not.

Adhesion is normally less than but can also becomes equal to cohesion.
Skin Friction (Clay) vs.
Depth Curve
Total Skin
Friction is area
under this
curve

cpD
 Adhesion (Bustamante and Gianaselli, 1982)

Nature of Soil Adhesion, Qt. MPa

Soft clay and mud .90 <1
Moderately compact clay .40 1 to 5
Compact to stiff clay and .60 >5
compact silt

Adhesion from European CPT (de Ruiter and

Beringen, 1979)

Nature of Soil Adhesion,

Normally Consolidated 1.0
Clay
Over-consolidated Clay 0.5
ADHESION
COEFFICIENT
 End Resistance of Pile in Clay
Bearing capacity at the tip is qtip cN c

Where N c is bearing capacity factor which always has a value of about nine (9).

Therefore qtip = 9c
5.7

1.0
 Terzaghis Equations - Cohesive

Continuous footing with width B

1.3x5.7=7.4 qult = cN c D f N q
10xDepthx1=++
Total=7.4++
Circular footing with width B

qult = 1.3cN c D f N q

Square footing with width B

qult = 1.3cN c D f N q
Also

C = qu /2

Where qu = unconfined compressive strength

qu = Qt/(15 to 20 for clay)

End Resistance of Pile resting on Rock
qtip = qu(Nf+1)
Where
Nf= tan2(45+f/2)
qu = unconfined compressive strength of rock
f=drained angle of friction

Furthermore, due to scale effect:

qu(design) = qu(lab) /5

Therefore,

Qtip = [qu(design)(Nf+1)] Atip

FOS
Typical values of unconfined compressive strengths and angle of frictions

Rock Compressive Strength, MN/m2

Sandstone 70-140
Limestone 105-210
Shale 35-70
Granite 140-210
Marble 60-70

Rock Angle of Friction, degrees

Sandstone 27-45
Limestone 30-40
Shale 10-20
Granite 40-50
Marble 25-30
END