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Geotechnical Engineering 156
October 2003 Issue GE4
Pages 183–191
Paper 13374
Received 27/5/2003
Accepted 29/7/2003
Keywords: Francesco Castelli Ernesto Motta
foundations/piles & piling Researcher, Department of Professor, Department of
Civil and Environmental Civil and Environmental
Engineering, University of Engineering, University of
Catania, Italy Catania, Italy
Geotechnical Engineering 156 Issue GE4 Settlement of piles under vertical load Castelli • Motta 183
2. METHOD OF ANALYSIS
To estimate the settlement of a single pile or a pile group, a
procedure derived from a model analysing the non-linear
settlement behaviour of a single pile subjected to axial load is
7 8– 13
applied. The load transfer approach has been simulated by D
load-transfer functions distributed along the pile shaft and at
the base.
B
B
w(z)
1 f ¼
1=K si þ w(z)= f s 冑ns
Raft
D
For the base:
w(L) Esoil
2 q¼ Deq
1=K bi þ w(z)=qb Eeq
L
load-transfer functions are indicated as Ksi and Kbi respectively Equivalent pier
in equations (1) and (2).
4
As suggested by Randolph the diameter of the equivalent pier,
Deq , for both friction piles and end-bearing piles, can be taken an embedded length L, the validity of the equivalent pier
as methods depends on a parameter defined by Randolph and
15
Clancy; the overall aspect ratio R, given by
pffiffiffiffiffiffi
2 Ag
3 Deq ¼
pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
( n 1)s þ D
5 R¼
L
where Ag is the plan area of the pile group as a block. The
Young’s modulus of the equivalent pier, Eeq , is then calculated
as 15
Randolph and Clancy showed that the equivalent pier
approach was suitable for R less than 4, and certainly for
Atp values less than 2.
4 Eeq ¼ Es þ (Ep Es )
Ag
3. ANALYTICAL SOLUTION
where Ep is the Young’s modulus of the piles, Es is the average To take into account the group action due to pile–soil–pile
Young’s modulus of the soil, and Atp is the total cross-sectional interaction, load transfer functions must be modified to relate
area of the piles in the group (Fig. 1). The advantage of this the behaviour of a single pile to that of a pile group.
approach is that the load–settlement response of the equivalent
pier can be calculated using solutions for the response of a A method to evaluate the settlement, w, for a single pile or a
single pile. pile group is to assume two laws for the soil–pile interaction
along the shaft and at the base respectively, with different
For a square group of n piles with diameter D, at spacing s, and stiffness values (Fig. 2(a)).
184 Geotechnical Engineering 156 Issue GE4 Settlement of piles under vertical load Castelli • Motta
P 8 ˜w ¼ C 1 eÆz þ C 2 eÆz
Ksi
where ˜w is the incremental settlement due to a small load
increment, and where C1 and C2 are given by
N
Ksi (1 ) ˜P
dz 9 C1 ¼
p ⫽ ⫺Ksiw (1 þ )e2ÆL (1 ) ÆEp Ap
dy
N ⫹ dN
Ksi (1 þ )e2ÆL ˜P
(N ⫹ dN) ⫺ N ⫹ pdz ⫽ 0 10 C2 ¼
(1 þ )e2ÆL (1 ) ÆEp Ap
(b)
Ksi
In equations (9) and (10) Ap is the cross-sectional area of the
pile, ˜P is the incremental load, and
Kb
Ksi 11 ¼
ÆEp
12 K s ¼ K si (1 s )2
Geotechnical Engineering 156 Issue GE4 Settlement of piles under vertical load Castelli • Motta 185
ø
D 24 ˜Rb ¼ K b ˜w(L)
15 Ł¼
Deq
25 ˜Rs ¼ ˜P ˜Rb
In equation (15) Ł is an empirical coefficient used to adapt the
single pile analysis to the equivalent pier analysis. Comparison
with field test results suggests adopting a value of the
16 A flow chart illustrating the adopted procedure for the case of
exponent ø ranging between 0·30 and 0·50. Consequently we
a pile group is shown in Fig. 3.
can assume, for the pile group,
(1 eq ) ˜P Input
18 C1 ¼ L, Eeq, Deq, Rblim, Rslim, Kb, Ks, θ
(1 þ eq )e2Æ9 L (1 eq ) Æ9Eeq Aeq
Initialise
(1 þ eq )e2ÆL ˜P P ⫽ 0; W(0) ⫽ 0; W(L) ⫽ 0; ηb ⫽ 0; ηs ⫽ 0
19 C2 ¼
(1 þ eq )e2Æ9 L (1 eq ) Æ9Eeq Aeq
Starting
incremental procedure
and the total settlement at the ith incremental step is Update settlements at pile head and base
w(0) ⫽ w(0) ⫹ ∆w (0); w(L) ⫽ w(L) ⫹ ∆w(L)
X
i Compute incremental base and shear reactions
21 w(0) i ¼ ˜w(0) j ∆Rb ⫽ ⫺K b∆w(L); ∆Rs ⫽ ∆P ⫹ ∆Rb
j¼1
In the same way, the incremental base settlement is Update base and shear load levels
ηb ⫽ Rb/Rblim; ηs ⫽ Rs/Rslim
22 ˜w(L) ¼ C 1 eÆ L þ C 2 eÆ L
No
P ⫽ Pmax
and the total settlement at the ith incremental step is
Yes
X
23
i
w(L) ¼ ˜w(L) j End
j¼1
186 Geotechnical Engineering 156 Issue GE4 Settlement of piles under vertical load Castelli • Motta
is the appropriate evaluation of function parameters for a
Reference L: m D: m Ms ¼ f s =Ksi D
realistic estimation of single pile or pile group settlements.
In a single pile–soil interaction, the initial stiffness, Ksi and Kbi , 29 15·20 0·94 0·00158
29 12·20 0·78 0·0032
can be derived from elastic theory using the following 30 20·00 0·42 0·00476
23
relationships proposed by Randolph and Wroth: 31 32·50 1·50 0·00083
32 14·00 0·53 0·00216
32 25·00 0·42 0·00433
G0
26 K si ¼ [FL3 ] 32 29·00 0·77 0·00216
R0 ln (Rm =R0 ) 32 28·00 1·00 0·00135
33 22·00 1·00 0·00164
33 23·50 0·60 0·00132
4G0 20 13·10 0·27 0·0024
27 K bi ¼ [FL3 ] 34 42·00 1·50 0·00165
R0 (1 ) 34 42·00 2·00 0·0013
26 9·15 0·27 0·00082
35 43·30 1·50 0·00113
where R0 is the radius of the pile shaft, G0 is the initial shear 35 35·00 1·00 0·00154
modulus of the soil, and Rm is the radial distance at which the 35 25·00 0·80 0·00153
shear stress becomes negligible. According to Randolph and 36 48·00 0·39 0·00277
23
Wroth the radial distance, Rm , can be determined as 37 20·00 0·50 0·0019
80
10
15 17
K bi 4 ln (Rm =R0 ) 60
29 ¼
K si (1 ) 40 8
13
16 9
1
12 11 2
14 19
20 5
18
7
For the usual values of ln (Rm /Ro ) and , the ratio Kbi /Ksi 0
6 3 20 21
assumes values ranging between 4 and 10. 0·01 0·02 0·03 0·04 0·05 0·06 0·07 0·08 0·09 0·10 0·11 0·12
fs: MPa
Geotechnical Engineering 156 Issue GE4 Settlement of piles under vertical load Castelli • Motta 187
reference. The piles were closed-end steel piles, 273 mm in
Load P: MN
outside diameter and 9·3 mm in wall thickness, driven to a
0 0·5 1·0 1·5 2·0
depth of 9·15 m below the ground surface. Given the average 0
value f s ¼ 0:0185 MPa, from equation (31) and Table 1, the
computed value of Ksi D is 6·23 MPa. The ratio Kbi /Ksi was 2
Load, P: kN
Load, P: kN
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800
0 100 200 300 400 500 0
0
Pile head settlement, w: mm
1
Pile head settlement, w: mm
2
6
3
9
4
Measured
12 Measured
Computed 5
Computed
15 6
Fig. 5. Measured and computed settlement for the single pile Fig. 7. Measured and computed settlement for the single pile
26 20
of Case A of Case B
188 Geotechnical Engineering 156 Issue GE4 Settlement of piles under vertical load Castelli • Motta
is given in Fig. 10. Also in this case the measured and the
Load, P : MN
computed load–settlement curves are very close.
0·0 1·0 2·0 3·0 4·0 5·0 6·0
0
2 Nine pile group of piles in clay. All piles had a diameter of 0·30 m and were
3 6·0 m in length. The piles were connected by a concrete cap
and were installed in a 3 3 3 configuration. According to the
4
Four pile group experimental results an average value f s ¼ 30 kN=m2 and a
5 Young’s modulus of soil Es ¼ 17 200 kN/m2 were taken.
6
To estimate the settlement of the pile group, the following
Measured
7 values of the model parameters were employed:
Computed
8 Atp ¼ 0:636 m2 , Ag ¼ 4:41 m2 , Deq ¼ 2:37 m,
Eeq ¼ 3:92 3 103 MPa. The computed value of Ksi D is 5·4 MPa,
and the ratio Kbi /Ksi was assumed equal to 10. The comparison
Fig. 8. Measured and computed settlement for the pile groups
20 between measured and computed settlements of the nine-pile
of Case B
group is given in Fig. 11.
30
To estimate the settlement of the pile group, the following
values of the model parameters were employed: Fig. 10. Measured and computed settlement for the pile group
Atp ¼ 0:126 m2 , Ag ¼ 1:0 m2 , Deq ¼ 1:13 m, and of Case C
27
Load, P: kN
Load, P: kN
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 0
0
2
Pier head settlement, w: mm
Pile head settlement, w: mm
1 4
6
2
8
3 10
12
4 Measured Measured
Computed 14 Computed
5 16
Fig. 9. Measured and computed settlement for the single pile Fig. 11. Measured and computed settlement for the pile group
27 28
of Case C of Case D
Geotechnical Engineering 156 Issue GE4 Settlement of piles under vertical load Castelli • Motta 189
6. CONCLUSIONS loaded piles in clay. Journal of the Soil Mechanics and
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Please email, fax or post your discussion contributions to the secretary by 1 April 2004: email: mary.henderson@ice.org.uk;
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Geotechnical Engineering 156 Issue GE4 Settlement of piles under vertical load Castelli • Motta 191