Static Pile Load Tests Research Articles

Field investigations on the thermo-mechanical behavior of a partially activated energy pile in Miocene sediments

The City of Vienna, as one of the largest public clients in Austria, initiated a research project to determine the load-bearing behavior of various foundation elements in typical Viennese soils. Numerous large-scale tests were carried out on bored piles, micro piles, anchors, and jet grouted columns. In addition, two energy piles were installed in different soil layers to investigate their behavior under mechanical and thermal loading in each soil layer separately. This paper discusses the energy pile in the Miocene sediments, which consist mainly of silty fine sand and some sandy silt. The energy pile – fully instrumented with strain gauges, extensometers, heat gauges and optical fiber sensors – was loaded for two and a half months. The mechanical load was kept constant throughout the thermal cycles to determine the response of the pile to thermal loads. The measured temperature data were used in numerical back-calculations to determine the thermal parameters of the soil layers and the concrete. Based on the measured strain and deformation data, the deformation behavior of the energy pile due to the thermal load was investigated. Finally, a static pile load test was carried out on the energy pile and the results are compared with those of the conventional reference piles installed in the vicinity, which have not been subjected to thermal loading. The test demonstrated that, after several weeks of cyclic thermal loading, the energy pile exhibited more favorable load-deformation behavior compared to conventional reference piles.

Experimental Study on the Time-Dependent Resistance of Open-Ended Steel Piles in Sand

Open-ended steel piles are commonly used as the foundation for offshore structures. Numerous model and field tests have demonstrated a time-dependent increase in the resistance of these piles, a phenomenon referred to as pile ageing or pile setup. Additionally, for open-ended steel piles with comparably small diameters, soil plugging enhances the resistance against axial compressive loads. Realistically predicting these effects is necessary for their reliable incorporation into design practice. This contribution presents static compression and tension pile load testing conducted in an experimental pit filled with wet, uniformly graded silica sand. In total, twelve piles (L= 5.5 m, Do= 325 mm) were driven into homogeneously compacted sand using a pneumatic impact hammer. Firstly, static compression pile load testing was executed at various times after installation. Subsequently, static tension pile load tests were carried out. The results of the static compression pile load tests indicate that the compressive resistance doubles over an ageing period of 64 weeks. The experimental investigations of the effect of soil plugging showed marginal soil plugging during pile installation, but a significant influence of the soil plug on the compressive resistance.

New Design Criteria for Long, Large-Diameter Bored Piles in Near-Shore Interbedded Geomaterials: Insights from Static and Dynamic Test Analysis

This paper presents an analysis of long, large-diameter bored piles’ behavior under static and dynamic load tests for a megaproject located in El Alamein, on the northern shoreline of Egypt. Site investigations depict an abundance of limestone fragments and weak argillaceous limestone interlaid with gravelly, silty sands and silty, gravelly clay layers. These layers are classified as intermediate geomaterials, IGMs, and soil layers. The project consists of high-rise buildings founded on long bored piles of 1200 mm and 800 mm in diameter. Forty-four (44) static and dynamic compression load tests were performed in this study. During the pile testing, it was recognized that the pile load–settlement behavior is very conservative. Settlement did not exceed 1.6% of the pile diameter at twice the design load. This indicates that the available design manual does not provide reasonable parameters for IGM layers. The study was performed to investigate the efficiency of different approaches for determining the design load of bored piles in IGMs. These approaches are statistical, predictions from static pile load tests, numerical, and dynamic wave analysis via a case pile wave analysis program, CAPWAP, a method that calculates friction stresses along the pile shaft. The predicted ultimate capacities range from 5.5 to 10.0 times the pile design capacity. Settlement analysis indicates that the large-diameter pile behaves as a friction pile. The dynamic pile load test results were calibrated relative to the static pile load test. The dynamic load test could be used to validate the pile capacity. Settlement from the dynamic load test has been shown to be about 25% higher than that from the static load test. This can be attributed to the possible development of high pore water pressure in cohesive IGMs. The case study analysis and the parametric study indicate that AASHTO LRFD is conservative in estimating skin friction, tip, and load test resistance factors in IGMs. A new load–settlement response equation for 600 mm to 2000 mm diameter piles and new recommendations for resistance factors φqp, φqs, and φload were proposed to be 0.65, 0.70, and 0.80, respectively.

State-of-the-art XGBoost, RF and DNN based soft-computing models for PGPN piles

ABSTRACT Machine learning (ML) has made significant advancements in predictive modelling across many engineering sectors. However, predicting the bearing capacity of pre-bored grouted planted nodular (PGPN) piles remains a relatively unexplored area due to the complexity of the load-bearing mechanism, pile-soil interactions, and multiple variables involved. The study utilises state-of-the-art ML techniques such as extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), random forest (RF), gradient boosting machines (GBMs), and deep learning-based simulation models. The dataset fed into the model comprises 81 case histories of static pile load tests conducted in various regions of Vietnam. The data was validated using descriptive statistics, sensitivity analysis, correlation matrix displays, SHAP plot analysis, and regression curves, with predictive performance validated through k-fold cross-validation. Among all the models tested, XGBoost (R2 = 0.91, RMSE = 0.09) and RF (R2 = 0.82, RMSE = 0.09) performed the best, while the deep neural network also yielded satisfactory results. However, GBM was found not to be a robust model for this analysis. The performance of the models was visually analysed using Violin plot comparisons and Taylor diagrams. The outcome of this study facilitates the safe and economical designs of the eco-friendly pile.

Vertical bearing capacity of spun precast concrete pile in liquefiable soil: a case study

Spun precast prestressed concrete (SPC) pile has been used in many parts of the world as a viable foundation alternative. This study assesses the load-carrying capacity of SPC piles passing through a deep soft subsoil layer and resting on a dense sand layer. The vertical bearing capacity of the SPC pile has been estimated using various analytical methods and static pile load tests for the Jolshiri area of Dhaka. The liquefaction potential of the site has been assessed using local seismic site conditions, field and laboratory test data. The liquefaction analysis suggests that the topsoil layer is liquefiable to a depth of 4.5 m. The capacity obtained from the load test is compared with those obtained from the different methods, ultimate push-in load, and local design guidelines. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was performed considering the hardening soil (HS) model using PLAXIS 3D to simulate field conditions. The load settlement response obtained from FEA shows a good agreement with the test results. The capacity examinations primarily suggest that the SPC pile can be a viable foundation solution for the subsoil conditions of Jolshiri Abasion area of Dhaka.

Bearing capacity prediction of the concrete pile using tunned ANFIS system

The design process for pile foundations necessitates meticulous deliberation of the calculation pertaining to the bearing capacity of the piles. The primary objective of this work was to investigate the potential use of Coot bird optimization (CBO\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\ ext{CBO}}$$\\end{document}) techniques in predicting the load-bearing capacity of concrete-driven piles. Despite the availability of several suggested models, the investigation of Coot bird optimization (CBO\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\ ext{CBO}}$$\\end{document}) for estimating the pile-carrying capacity has been somewhat neglected in this research. This work presents and validates a unique approach that combines the Coot bird optimization (CBO\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\ ext{CBO}}$$\\end{document}) model with the Multi-layered perceptron (MLP\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\ ext{MLP}}$$\\end{document}) neural network and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\ ext{ANFIS}}$$\\end{document}). The findings of 472 different driven pile static load tests were put in a database. The proposed framework's building, validation, and testing stages were each accomplished utilizing the training set (70%), validation set (15%), and testing set (15%) of the dataset, respectively. According to the findings, MLPCBO\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${{\ ext{MLP}}}_{{\ ext{CBO}}}$$\\end{document} and ANFISCBO\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${{\ ext{ANFIS}}}_{{\ ext{CBO}}}$$\\end{document} both offer remarkable possibilities for accurately predicting the pile-bearing capacity of a given structure. The R2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${R}^{2}$$\\end{document} values for ANFISCBO\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${{\ ext{ANFIS}}}_{{\ ext{CBO}}}$$\\end{document} during the training stage were 0.9874, while during the validating stage, they were 0.9785, and during the testing stage they were 0.987. After considering various kinds of performance studies and contrasting them with existing literature, it has been concluded that the ANFISCBO\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${{\ ext{ANFIS}}}_{{\ ext{CBO}}}$$\\end{document} model provides a more appropriate calculation of the bearing capacity of concrete-driven piles.

The Effectiveness of determining the Load-bearing Capacity of Piles based on the Results of Pile Dynamic Testing: The Case Study of Long An Province, Vietnam

Determining the load-bearing capacity of piles currently relies on various field experimental methods, with static pile compression loading testing and dynamic pile testing through Pile Driving Analysis (PDA) being widely accepted as reliable practices. However, the application of PDA tests faces limitations, especially in construction projects with weak soil profile while the static pile load test usually requires high testing costs. Consequently, the conventional dynamic pile testing method, checking the resistance through a number of dynamic hammer blows, is commonly utilized. Despite its prevalence, there has been limited research on the traditional dynamic pile testing method. In light of this, the present study aims to examine the traditional approach by analytical and numerical simulations. By doing so, it seeks to offer a more objective and comprehensive understanding of its effectiveness when compared to alternative methods.

Estimation Criteria for Static Rock Mass Deformability Modulus for Rock-Socket Design in Metamorphic Rock Masses

This study investigates the most appropriate empirical criteria to estimate the static rock mass deformability modulus (𝐸𝑚) in the design of rock-sockets in cast-in-situ bored pile construction. The in-situ 𝐸𝑚 values are initially estimated through back analysis of static pile load test data. Secondly, the rock mass deformability estimated from back analysis (𝐸𝑚b) are tested statistically against selected established empirical equations to determine whether the latter are appropriate for use in metamorphic rock terrain of Sri Lanka. It is found that the existing empirical criterion based on the square root of intact unconfined compressive strength (𝜎𝑐) derived from back analysis of pile load test results is appropriate for weak-poor rock masses. For strong-poor rocks, it is recommended to employ the equation based on 𝜎𝑐', and in general the two equations generate lower and upper bound solutions. The equation based on intact deformability modulus (𝐸𝑖) performs well in strong-excellent quality rock masses, while the equations based on 𝐸𝑖 and rock quality designation (𝑅QD) are found to be appropriate for weak-fair to excellent rock masses. Finally, a new set of equations appropriate for different rock mass types have been proposed through regression analysis along with appropriate design measures to be adopted.

The Analysis of Pile Skin and Base Resistances Interaction Based on Static Pile Load Test in Experimental Research

Abstract Static pile load tests in laboratory conditions were carried out to study the mechanism of the pile skin and pile base resistance mobilization with settlement and their interactions. The mechanism of the skin resistance at the base is important in the correct interpretation of the pile capacity. Especially in the case of piles shallowly embedded in the bearing layer. In the studies described in this article, high-precision piezoelectric elastic stress maps were used. The tests were carried out on piles with a diameter of 2.5–2.8 cm, and length of 40 cm. Static pile load tests were carried out to measure resistance at the pile base, settlement and change of stress in the soil at the level of the pile base or beneath the pile base were measured. The analysis of stress in soil allowed to investigate the interaction between the resistances of the pile base and skin. The state of stress in the soil close to the pile base, both beneath and above the pile base level was heavily influenced by the simultaneous mobilization of skin and base resistance.

Cast‐in‐place deep foundations in Myanmar

AbstractThis article is a summary of the available research works of cast‐in‐place deep‐seated bored piles in Myanmar. Instrumented static pile load test results are analyzed, discussed, and updated. The information contained in the article is mainly from the construction projects of private sectors constructed in Yangon and extended study of previous work on current practices of deep foundations and deep excavation Works in Myanmar.

Numerical analysis to determine the optimum distance of reaction piles in a static pile load test

Numerical analysis to determine the optimum distance of reaction piles in a static pile load test

A Field Study of Soil Plugging of Jacked Pile and Its Effect on the Pile Resistance

Both a static pile load test and cone penetration test were conducted in a field to investigate the effect of soil plugging on the ultimate bearing capacity of a pile. Both the force equilibrium method and Terzaghi’s method were adopted for the theoretical analysis of the soil plugging effect during the pile setting process. Consequently, a new equation was proposed for the estimation of the height of soil plugging. It is observed that the process of pile settlement can be divided into three stages: (i) the soil plugging is initially formed; (ii) the soil plugging reaches its maximum height; and (iii) force equilibrium is reached with a constant soil plugging height. The proposed method in this paper provides an alternative method for the assessment of the height of soil plugging and its effect on the ultimate bearing capacity of the jacked pile.

Prediction of axial load bearing capacity of PHC nodular pile using Bayesian regularization artificial neural network

Pre-stressed precast high strength concrete (PHC) nodular piles with hyper-MEGA construction method are favorably used in medium to high-rise building foundations. In this study, a feed-forward neural network (FFNN) was adopted to investigate the ultimate axial load bearing capacity of the PHC nodular pile. The network receives the composite pile and geotechnical conditions with eight input neurons and outputs the nodular pile's ultimate axial load bearing capacity. Among numerous possible FFNN network architectures, the most accurate one is determined by optimizing the hidden layer. Network training is conducted with Bayesian regularization backpropagation (BRB); the training datasets consist of static pile load test and standard penetration test index of soil profile collected from various projects in Vietnam. The significance of each input parameter is quantified with importance-based sensitivity analysis. An explicit function has been constructed from weights and bias values at each neuron in the FFNN to estimate the axial load bearing capacity. The excellent agreement of all output values by the proposed FFNN with the measured values proved the model’s robustness and reliability. The predictive capacity of the proposed FFNN model has significantly outperformed all current empirical formulas. The outcome of this study can be directly put into engineering practice to furnish an economically optimal design of the composite nodular pile.

Using an evolutionary heterogeneous ensemble of artificial neural network and multivariate adaptive regression splines to predict bearing capacity in axial piles

Accurately estimating the bearing capacity of piles is an onerous task in structural design task that requires a powerful computation model able to elucidate nonlinear impacts of geotechnical factors and the dimension and shape of piles. This study develops a novel heterogeneous ensemble artificial intelligence model, named intelligence multivariate neural network inference model (IMNNIM), to accurately and quickly predict bearing capacity of piles. The IMNNIM was created by integrating the equilibrium optimization algorithm (EO) into a combination of multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) and radial basis neural network (RBFNN). The predictive values of the IMNNIM were qualified by dynamically merging prediction information generated by MARS and RBFNN and then adjusting the associated weights and assigned tuning parameter values of the learner members. The performance of the IMNNIM was evaluated using data from 472 driven pile static load test reports. The experimental results using a 10-fold cross-validation method demonstrated the IMNNIM to be the most reliable model for predicting pile-bearing-capacity by achieving the greatest values of MAPE (7.24%), RMSE (90.92kN), MAE (67.98kN), and R2 (0.930) and the lowest standard deviation values. A t-test analysis method confirmed the IMNNIM as a superior tool for pile-bearing-capacity estimation.

A novel direct SPT method to accurately estimate ultimate axial bearing capacity of bored PHC nodular piles with 81 case studies in Vietnam

Bored PHC nodular piles (BPNP) are an eco-friendly and advantageous option for pile foundations of medium-rise to high-rise buildings. As none of the current methods to estimate the ultimate axial load-bearing capacity is accurate enough for BPNP in engineering practice, this study aims to achieve that objective by developing a new direct SPT method. To that end, we use static pile load test and SPT data of 81 PHC nodular piles collected in Vietnam. The ultimate bearing capacity is interpreted from the load–displacement curve in pile static load tests by various methods to determine the most suitable method for the nodular piles. Furthermore, 8 methods to determine axial load pile capacity directly from the standard penetration test are examined. Each method’s effectiveness is evaluated by comparing its predicted values with the measured values. Finally, the genetic algorithm for function optimization is employed to develop a new direct SPT method that can accurately predict the ultimate axial load-bearing capacity of nodular piles. The reliability of the proposed formula is justified by comparing the proportion of end bearing capacity with other published works. It is verified that the developed directed SPT method outperforms all current methods and could be implemented directly in engineering practice.

Safety Assessment of Kentledge Construction for Pile Foundation

Insufficient strength and stiffness of the kentledge system in the static pile load test will lead to test failures and even accidents. However, the codes and standards do not offer definite guidelines in this regard. This article carried out static load tests on the piles of a road bridge in Bhubaneswar, India, to highlight the importance of the kentledge strength and stiffness for the successful conduct of such tests. Based on the results of this study, the article proposed a methodology for the structural design of the kentledge system, which can be adopted to standardize the procedures of static pile load tests available in the existing codes. The findings of this study will be useful to practitioners working in pile construction.

Evaluation of Static Pile Load Test Results of Ultimate Bearing Capacity by Interpreting Methods

in geotechnical engineering, foundation piles are ideal for deep foundations that cannot bear higher loads. This architectural expansion places a great deal of responsibility on the engineer to anticipate the appropriate load for the constructor. Unfortunately, calculations of the pile’s bearing capacity are not accessible. It has always been a source of concern for geotechnical engineers, as the structure’s safety depends on the pile’s bearing capacity and gives it a safe value. These research tests are previously known pile load test data from several locations in Nasiriyah to determine the ultimate load-carrying capacity using various interpreting methodologies. A database that was used to test the pile load for three different areas in Nasiriyah, southern Iraq: The Main Drain River Bridge Project, the Al-Eskan Interchange Project, and the Al-Hawra Hospital, as determined by analytical methods, as well as evaluating the final loading values resulting from the methods used, by ASTM D-1143, American and British Standard Code of Practice BS 800. The final capacity for the pile bearing is estimated using these approaches, which are depicted in the form of a graph-based on field data. Chin-Kondner and Brinch Hansen algorithms anticipate the highest failure load for all piles based on the comparison. On average, Chin–Kondner’s ultimate load is 22% higher than Hansen’s maximum load for the 22 pile load tests. Decourt and DeBeer, and Mazurkiewicz’s techniques yielded the closest average failure load. Buttler-Hoy approach yielded the smallest failure load.

Numerical Modelling of Various Aspects of Pipe Pile Static Load Test

Due to the development of dedicated software and the computing capabilities of modern computers, the application of numerical methods to analyse more complex geotechnical problems is becoming increasingly common. However, there are still some areas which, due to the lack of unambiguous solutions, require a more thorough examination, e.g., the numerical simulations of displacement pile behaviour in soil. Difficulties in obtaining the convergence of simulations with the results of static load tests are mainly caused by problems with proper modelling of the pile installation process. Based on the numerical models developed so far, a new process of static load test modelling has been proposed, which includes the influence of pile installation on the soil in its vicinity and modelling of contact between steel pile and the soil. Although the presented method is not new, this is relevant and important for practitioners that may want to improve the design of displacement piles. The results of the numerical calculations were verified by comparing them with the results of pipe pile field tests carried out in a natural scale on the test field in Southern Poland.

Finite Element Modelling of Prestressed Concrete Piles in Soft Soils, Case Study: Northern Jakarta, Indonesia

Jakarta is faced with limited land resources due to its position as the capital city of Indonesia. Therefore, numerous high-rise buildings are being constructed to solve this problem and provide accommodations for a large number of Jakarta residents. Studies have shown that prestressed concrete piles (spun piles) are commonly used as the foundations of high-rise buildings in metropolitan cities across Indonesia, especially in the Northern Jakarta Coastal area, which is predominant with deep soft soils deposit. To further assess and verify the ultimate capacity of the pile, a static loading test was conducted. However, not all results from the field test produced ideal, accurate, precise, and reliable load-settlement curve (until failure) results. Therefore, this study aims to determine the soil properties for the analysis of prestressed concrete spun piles with a diameter of 600 mm in the Northern Jakarta coastal area based on the standard penetration test values (SPT-N). It is a case study of a well-documented static pile load test using the kentledge system. Back analyses were performed by the finite element method to obtain the extrapolated load-settlement curve. Furthermore, the effect of interface strength between pile and soil on the load-settlement curve was also investigated. The results showed that a reduction of interface strength leads to a smaller load–settlement curve. In addition, several geotechnical engineering parameters of soil, such as the undrained shear strength and effective young's modulus, were established using data from an in-situ soil site investigation and empirical correlations with SPT-N.

Vibro piles performance prediction using result of CPT

Abstract Vibro piles belong to the group of full displacement piles with an expanded base, characterised by a very high load capacity, especially in non-cohesive soils. The problem is to adopt a reliable method for the determination of full load–settlement (Q–s) curve. A frequent difficulty is the determination of the load capacity limit based on the static load test because the course of the load–settlement curve is of a linear nature. This publication presents the empirical method. It allows direct prediction of a full axially loaded pile settlement curve based on the values of qc cone resistance obtained in cone penetration test (CPT). The advantage offered by this procedure is the accuracy of the obtained limit values in relation to the actual load-bearing capacity as compared to other methods based on soil parameters obtained in in situ testing. An additional advantage is the Q–s characteristics, which enable designing for intermediate values, allowing for the criterion of minimal or equal settlements. The shape of analytical curves was compared with static pile load test (SPLT) curves. This comparison showed large convergences between the analytical and measured curves.