Introduction: -

A pile is a slender, structural member installed in the ground to transfer the structural
loads to soils at some significant depth below the base of the structure. Structural loads include
axial loads, lateral loads, and moments. Another term commonly used in practice for pile
foundations is deep foundations. Structures that cannot be supported economically on shallow
foundations are normally supported by pile foundations.

Pile foundations are used when:

• The soil near the surface does not have sufficient bearing capacity to support the structural
loads.

• The estimated settlement of the soil exceeds tolerable limits (i.e., settlement greater than the
serviceability limit state).

• Differential settlement due to soil variability or non-uniform structural loads is excessive.

• The structural loads consist of lateral loads, moments, and uplift forces, singly or in
combination.

• Excavations to construct a shallow foundation on a firm soil layer are difficult or expensive.
An example of a pile foundation under construction is shown in Figure on the next page.

DEFINITIONS OF KEY TERMS

- Pile is a slender, structural member consisting of steel, concrete, timber, plastic, or

composites.

- Displacement pile is a pile that displaces a large volume of soil. Driven piles with
solid sections are displacement piles. Closed-ended pipe piles are displacement piles.

- Non displacement pile is a pile that displaces only a small volume of soil ≈
( 10%) relative to its external volume. Steel H-piles and open-ended pipe piles are
non-displacement piles.

- Micro piles are small-diameter piles (50 mm to 340 mm) installed as pipe piles. They
are also called mini piles, pin piles, needle piles, and root piles.

- Skin friction stress or shaft friction stress or adhesive stress (fs) is the frictional or
adhesive stress on the shaft of a pile.

- End bearing stress or point resistance stress or tip resistance stress (fb) is the stress
at the base or tip of a pile.
- Ultimate load capacity (Qult) is the maximum load that a pile can sustain before soil
failure occurs.

- Ultimate group load capacity [(Qult)g] is the maximum load that a group of piles can
sustain before soil failure occurs.

- Skin friction or shaft friction or side shear (Qs) is the frictional force generated on
the shaft of a pile.

- End bearing or point resistance or tip resistance (Qf) is the resistance generated at
the base or tip of a pile.

- End bearing or point bearing pile is one that transfers almost all the structural load to
the soil at the bottom end of the pile.

- Friction pile or Floating pile is one that transfers almost all the structural load to the
soil by skin friction along a substantial length of the pile.

- Drilled shaft or bored pile is a concrete pile cast in a hole created by a spiral auger.
These piles are generally cylindrical.