PROCEEDINGS OF A SYMPOSIUM ON DOWNDRAG OF PILES HELD AT THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ON MARCH 8 AND 9, 1973

A symposium on Negative Skin Friction (Downdrag) of Piles was held to acquaint practicing Civil Engineers with the results of a research project conducted by the Geotechnical Division of the Civil Engineering Department at M.I.T. The research was sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Public Works and the Federal Highway Administration. The bridge chosen for the study had abutments supported on steel piles (14 BP 73) driven through 13 feet of sand and 50 feet of soft clay to bearing in very dense glacial till. A 25-foot high approach fill provided the surcharge. Since the piles were not instrumented prior to driving, an indirect field measurement system was used to determine the downdrag loading on one pile in the west abutment. Predictions of structural and downdrag loads made before the field tests by six engineers were substantially different from the measured loads, but were within reasonable engineering accuracy for the backfigured downdrag loads.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored in part by Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C., and Massachusetts Dept. of Public Works, Wellesley Hills. Soils Pub-331.
• Corporate Authors:

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  Department of Civil Engineering, 77 Massachusetts Avenue
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02139
• Authors:
  • Garlanger, J E
  • Lambe, T W
• Publication Date: 1973-11

Media Info

• Pagination: 108 p.

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00056978
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: R73-56
• Files: NTIS
• Created Date: Jul 31 1974 12:00AM