Pile Failure Determined
Pile Failure Determined
(OP)
After how much vertical movement do you consider a pile foundation as failed for a typical building? Does the movement happen all at onece?
The reason I am asking is that I have a large metal building, without any brittle finish, that is sitting on existing pile caps (caps between 6 and 9 piles). I need to add between 5 and 10% of additional load onto the caps, but I don't have existing pile capacities. I can't imagine 5 to 10% additional load failing this many piles.
The reason I am asking is that I have a large metal building, without any brittle finish, that is sitting on existing pile caps (caps between 6 and 9 piles). I need to add between 5 and 10% of additional load onto the caps, but I don't have existing pile capacities. I can't imagine 5 to 10% additional load failing this many piles.





RE: Pile Failure Determined
Just some thoughts.
Regards,

Qshake
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RE: Pile Failure Determined
Piles are typicaly desinged with a FS of 2-3 so increasingthe load by 5-10% "should be" ok. Depends how comforatable you are on who designed the piles. The type of failure (plunging, or an increase in capacity with settlement) depends on the soil profile and whether it is controlled by endbearing or friction .
RE: Pile Failure Determined
RE: Pile Failure Determined
Dik
RE: Pile Failure Determined
If adding 5 to 10% additional loading to the piles causes problems, then the design was not very good to begin with.
RE: Pile Failure Determined
I guess I was just feeling kind of negligent by putting new load on something I don't have existing information about.
But I also feel kind of the same way as the tone of most of the replies. I would think it might be (at most) a serviceability issue if a noticeable amount of settlement ocurred, due to the addition of this small percentage of load. (I also remembered the safety factor of 2 to 3 commonly associated with piles.)
RE: Pile Failure Determined