ICP design methods

for driven piles

in sands and clays

Richard Jardine Imperial College London

Fiona Chow WorleyParsons Australia
Robert Overy Shell UK Ltd
Jamie Standing Imperial College London

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 Published by Thomas Telford Publishing, Thomas Telford Ltd, 1 Heron Quay, London E14 4JD.
www.thomastelford.com

Distributors for Thomas Telford books are

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First published 2005

Also available from Thomas Telford Books

Deep Excavations: a practical manual, 2nd Edition, M. Puller, ISBN 0 7277 3150 5
Civil Excavations and Tunnelling: R Tatiya, ISBN 0 7277 3340 0
Designers' Guide to EN 1997-1 Eurocode 7: Geotechnical Design - general rules, Frank et al, ISBN
0 7277 1548

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 0 7277 3272 2

© Authors and Thomas Telford 2005

All rights, including translation, reserved. Except as permitted by the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of the Publishing Director, Thomas Telford Publishing, Thomas
Telford Ltd, 1 Heron Quay, London E14 4JD.

This book is published on the understanding that the authors are solely responsible for the
statements made and opinions expressed in it and that its publication does not necessarily imply
that such statements and/or opinions are or reflect the views or opinions of the publishers. While
every effort has been made to ensure that the statements made and the opinions expressed in this
publication provide a safe and accurate guide, no liability or responsibility for any foundation design
or other can be accepted in this respect by the authors, the organisations for which they work or
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Printed and bound in Great Britain by Bell & Bain Ltd, Glasgow

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CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................................7
2 BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................9
2.1 Rationale for developing new design approaches ..................................................................9
2.2 Imperial College research programmes................................................................................10
2.2.1 Research aims.........................................................................................................10
2.2.2 Research phases.....................................................................................................11
2.2.3 Field tests with instrumented piles...........................................................................13
2.2.4 Parallel experiments with field-scale driven piles ....................................................13
3 DESIGN METHODS FOR PILES IN SILICA SAND .......................................................................15
3.1 Introduction ...........................................................................................................................15
3.2 Shaft friction ..........................................................................................................................15
3.2.1 Basic mechanisms...................................................................................................15
3.2.2 Evaluating short-term shaft capacity of single cylindrical piles................................16
3.3 Base resistance.....................................................................................................................22
3.3.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................22
3.3.2 Closed-ended piles ..................................................................................................22
3.3.3 Open-ended piles ....................................................................................................23
3.4 Axial capacity of piles with non-circular cross-sections ........................................................26
3.4.1 Recommendations for rectangular piles ..................................................................26
3.4.2 Recommendations for H section piles .....................................................................26
4 DESIGN METHODS FOR PILES IN CLAY ....................................................................................28
4.1 Introduction ...........................................................................................................................28
4.2 Shaft friction ..........................................................................................................................28
4.2.1 Basic mechanisms...................................................................................................28
4.2.2 Evaluating shaft capacity of single piles after pore pressure equalisation ..............29
4.3 Base resistance.....................................................................................................................36
5 RELIABILITY OF THE DESIGN METHODS ..................................................................................38
5.1 Additional entries to the Chow pile load test database .........................................................38
5.2 Reliability of shaft capacity predictions in silica sand ...........................................................42
5.2.1 Shaft capacity database for silica sand ...................................................................42
5.2.2 Reliability of the ICP shaft method in sand..............................................................42
5.3 Shaft capacity in clay ............................................................................................................46
5.3.1 Shaft capacity database for clay..............................................................................46
5.3.2 Reliability of ICP shaft method in clays ...................................................................46
5.4 Base resistance in sand ........................................................................................................49
5.4.1 End bearing database in sand.................................................................................49
5.4.2 Degree of fit for the ICP end bearing method in sand .............................................50

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 Page 4 ICP design methods for driven piles in sands and clays

5.5 Base resistance in clay .........................................................................................................53

5.5.1 End bearing database for clay.................................................................................53
5.5.2 Degree of fit for the ICP end bearing method in clay ..............................................53
5.6 Independent analyses of ICP methods’ predictive reliability.................................................54
5.6.1 Reliability for square and H section piles.................................................................54
5.6.2 Checks by other organisations on reliability for cylindrical driven piles...................54
5.7 Selection of safety factors in design .....................................................................................55
5.7.1 Foundation COVs in mixed soil profiles...................................................................57
5.7.2 Reliability calibrated against well-established design methods...............................57
5.7.3 Reliability in terms of probability of failure ...............................................................58
5.7.4 Safety Factors for the ICP methods ........................................................................58
6. TIME EFFECTS IN SAND AND CLAY ...........................................................................................61
6.1 Time effects in sand ..............................................................................................................61
6.2 Time effects in clay ...............................................................................................................64
6.3 Implications ...........................................................................................................................65
7. GROUP EFFECTS IN SAND AND CLAY ......................................................................................66
7.1 Group effects in sand ............................................................................................................66
7.2 Group effects in clay .............................................................................................................66
8. EXPERIENCE WITH OTHER SOIL PROFILES.............................................................................68
8.1 Micaceous sands ..................................................................................................................68
8.2 Calcareous sands .................................................................................................................68
8.3 Silts and low plasticity clays ..................................................................................................69
8.3.1 Assessing whether to apply clay or sand design criteria.........................................69
8.3.2 Low plasticity, low YSR, sensitive clays and clay-silts ............................................70
8.4 Diatomaceous clays and mudstones ....................................................................................71
8.5 Layered soil profiles ..............................................................................................................71
9. CYCLIC LOADING AND SEISMIC ACTION ..................................................................................72
9.1 General..................................................................................................................................72
9.2 Recent cyclic pile testing in sand and clay............................................................................74
9.3 Axial capacity of piles driven in clay under seismic loading..................................................77
10. CONCLUSIONS..............................................................................................................................78
10.1 Main points ............................................................................................................................78
10.2 Check list for sands...............................................................................................................79
10.3 Check list for clays ................................................................................................................79
11. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...............................................................................................................80
12. REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................81
APPENDIX A ..........................................................................................................................................87
RING SHEAR TESTING METHODOLOGY ...........................................................................................87

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A1.1 Principle of test......................................................................................................................87

A1.2 Specimen and interface preparation .....................................................................................87
A1.3 Test procedure ......................................................................................................................88
APPENDIX B ..........................................................................................................................................91
CASE HISTORIES AND WORKED EXAMPLES FOR PILES IN SAND AND CLAY ............................91
B1 EURIPIDES...........................................................................................................................92
B1.1 Site conditions .........................................................................................................92
B1.2 Test pile ...................................................................................................................92
B1.3 Pile capacity prediction ............................................................................................92
B1.4 Comparison of calculated and measured capacity..................................................95
B2 Pentre....................................................................................................................................96
B2.1 Site conditions .........................................................................................................96
B2.2 Test pile ...................................................................................................................99
B2.3 Pile capacity prediction ............................................................................................99
B2.4 Comparison of calculated and measured capacity............................................... 101
APPENDIX C....................................................................................................................................... 102
LIST OF NOTATION ........................................................................................................................... 102

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