Lateral Load on Pile Embedded into Ledge 1

[SRO]

I have a condition where a dock is going in and the piles were specified by the civil to be embedded 10’. While driving the hollow 14” diameter fiberglass piles the contractor hit ledge at 3’-5’ depth. The contractor wants to drill and socket the piles into the ledge, then fill them with concrete. My concern is we don’t know the condition of the ledge to resist the lateral load. What if the ledge is fractured?

Also assuming the ledge is fine does anyone know of any guidance to determine the depth of embedment? Since ledge would have no give (ideally) I’m skeptical about using the same method for sheet piles in gravel or clay.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[SlideRuleEra]

Ten feet embedment is routinely considered to be minimum by Departments of Transportation in many states. Whether it is or is not for the situation you have is another matter. Sounds like it is time (or perhaps past time) to bring in a geotechnical engineer to determine subsurface conditions, probably some soil borings.

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