Determining soil properties for pile foundations
Determining soil properties for pile foundations
(OP)
Hi there, I'm trying to design pile foundations. This will involve piling to a depth of around 25m through three different strata with the fourth being end-bearing. I am trying to determine reliable values for undrained shear strength and the adhesion factor in order to estimate my pile bearing capacities, however I have been supplied with very limited information. I have been given results from standard penetration tests for all of the strata which I understand can be correlated to undrained shear strength but should be used with caution (there is also a huge range in the n values found for each stratum). I have also been supplied with data regarding the moisture contents and plasticity indices for some but not all of the stata and the results of a triaxial test for one stratum (not the end-bearing one). Futhermore I have not been given any information relating to the unit density or weight of any of the strata. It is not possible to perform any in-situ tests or gain any other information on the soil than the information I have already been given (apart from finding results from tests on the same soil type in other literature).
Is there any way that I can obtain the values I need from the data that I have been supplied?
Thanks
Is there any way that I can obtain the values I need from the data that I have been supplied?
Thanks





RE: Determining soil properties for pile foundations
If not, then get with the geotechnical engineer. If you are not familiar with how to do this, you could easily screw it up and pile foundations cost a lot of money to install....and even more if they fail.
RE: Determining soil properties for pile foundations
If the answers are 1) compression, 2) A, B, (maybe C), 3) No, then I think you could at least tide yourself over and use the last soil strata for end bearing and friction using the readily available correlations with n, soil type, and phi angle. You will likely have an over-designed pile, but it gets you somewhere while you wait for your lazy Geotechnical Engineer to do more than forward the boring log and Atterberg limits tests to you. BTW, watch our for n-values <5. If those strata are deep, it could indicate compressible peat - ask the geotech guy to provide the surcharge from it's downdrag.
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RE: Determining soil properties for pile foundations
RE: Determining soil properties for pile foundations
RE: Determining soil properties for pile foundations
RE: Determining soil properties for pile foundations
RE: Determining soil properties for pile foundations
RE: Determining soil properties for pile foundations
RE: Determining soil properties for pile foundations
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