DESIGN OF PILE FOUNDATIONS

This report reviews design principles and construction problems associated with pile foundations, and recommends criteria based on current knowlege. The problem of determining whether or not the site conditions are such that piles must be used is discussed, as well as the selection of the pile type. The ultimate load on a pile is the load that can cause failure of either the pile or the soil. The pile failure condition may govern design where pile points penetrate dense sand or rock, but in most situations, ultimate load is determined by the soil failure. The computation of the ultimate load is discussed. For design purposes the ultimate load is separated into two components: the base or point load, and the shaft or skin load. The displacements needed to mobilize skin resistance, the mechanics of load transfer between pile and soil, and the settlement analysis of pile foundations is reviewed. Pile spacing, lateral deflection, slope or pile axis, position and magnitude of maximum bending moment are covered, as well as lateral loading caused by horizontal displacement, buckling, and pile driving. In-situ full-scale pile load tests are also discussed.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_syn_42.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/05475570
• Supplemental Notes:
  • NCHRP Project 20-5 FY'73 (Topic 5-04) sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Vesic, A S
• Publication Date: 1977

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 68 p.
• Serial:
  • NCHRP Synthesis of Highway Practice
  • Issue Number: 42
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0547-5570

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Breaking loads; Bridge design; Bridges; Failure; Foundation engineering; Ground settlement; Load tests; Load transfer; Loads; Location; Pile driving; Skin resistance; Soil mechanics; Soils; Spacing; Structural design; Support piles
• Uncontrolled Terms: Building sites
• Old TRIS Terms: Lateral movement; Pile spacing
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Geotechnology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00167571
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 29 1978 12:00AM