Design of Timber Pile Foundation
Design of Timber Pile Foundation
(OP)
I am working on designing a foundation made of a reinforced concrete pile cap supported by timber piles. I am currently using RISA Foundation software to determine the loads applied to each timber pile via the pile cap. What is the procedure to design the timber pile? I am given the tension, compression, and shear capacity of the piles. How would I check the piles for settlement? How would I check for the lateral deflection of the timber piles?






RE: Design of Timber Pile Foundation
This is something you don't want to learn on a real project.
RE: Design of Timber Pile Foundation
RE: Design of Timber Pile Foundation
RE: Design of Timber Pile Foundation
So as the structural engineer designing the foundation, does this mean that as long as the applied load does not exceed the allowable for the tension, compression, and shear capacities for the timber piles mentioned in the soil report, I should not be concerned with the settlement and/or lateral displacement? I do not have access to the Lpile software. Does Lpile determine your pile displacement?
I am reviewing an old geotech report which is the area I am putting my pile foundations. The geotechnical report states "No detail analysis was made with regards to settlements of pile foundations since they will probably be small and unimportant to the type foundation and loading. Settlements would become important if extremely large clusters of closely spaced piles are anticipated and if this case arises additional analysis should be made." Is the "additional analysis" performed by the geotechnical engineer or the structural engineer designing the foundation?
RE: Design of Timber Pile Foundation
RE: Design of Timber Pile Foundation
RE: Design of Timber Pile Foundation
Think about if you design a pile cap for 6 piles but then the contractor only installs 4 piles, your cap was not loaded how you designed it an now it may fail.... it needs to be re-evaluated
RE: Design of Timber Pile Foundation
I would not assume the piles can take tension.
DaveAtkins
RE: Design of Timber Pile Foundation
RE: Design of Timber Pile Foundation
I have an old book (dated 1955) on piles foundations, timber piles included, but in Italian.
In a note I read some bibliography :
1 - Proceedings of American Wood Preservers' Association
2 - American Railway Engineering Association Standards
3 - Broach J.B. "Method of recording and evalueting test pile data" - Wood Preserving News, 1943
4 - Bruns T.C. "Don't hit timber piles too hard" - Civ. Eng, 1941
5 - Masters "Timber friction pile foundations" - Proc. A.S.C.E., 1941
6 - Smith-Aaron J. "Rotary drill Bores holes for timber piles in clay" - Engineering News Records, 1932
RE: Design of Timber Pile Foundation
RE: Design of Timber Pile Foundation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTzpeTjkaKY
RE: Design of Timber Pile Foundation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3INp81NimE
RE: Design of Timber Pile Foundation
Would any one happen to know what would be typical acceptable tension & shear stiffness values (in kips/in) to use in my pile design? As mentioned earlier, this is for bid purposes.
RE: Design of Timber Pile Foundation
RE: Design of Timber Pile Foundation
RE: Design of Timber Pile Foundation
http://www.wwpinstitute.org/documents/timber_manua...
RE: Design of Timber Pile Foundation
Many times it is better to increase the foundation weight to minimize uplift on the piles. The typical uplift used is 1/2 the downward capacity or less for friction piles. If they are end bearing, even less!