OVERVIEW FOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF DRILLED SHAFTS IN COHESIVE SOILS

Drilled shaft foundations have become very important in construction of numerous types of structures such as residences, buildings, bridges, and towers on expansive or unstable soils and fills. Much research has been done to improve the design and construction procedures for drilled shafts, but few reports contain criteria for different soils and loading conditions. This report updates and condenses previous work and presents procedures available for design and construction of drilled shaft foundations in cohesive soil under various loading conditions. Guidance is presented for field exploration, laboratory investigations, design concepts and procedures, and construction techniques. The results of the overview show that design procedures are generally highly conservative, particularly those using total stress methods. Such conservatism has frequently been relied upon because no rational basis exists for determining the empirical factors, particularly the reduction factor alpha, required for the total stress methods. Failures of drilled shaft foundations have consequently been associated mostly with construction problems rather than with design. New research should include development of improved and more rational design methods to reduce unnecessary conservatism, determination of long-term effects on drilled shafts, improvements in construction methods, and techniques for troubleshooting problems with drilled shafts. (Author)

• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. Army Waterways Experiment Station

  Geotechnical Laboratory, 3909 Halls Ferry Road
  Vicksburg, MS  United States  39180-6199
• Authors:
  • Johnson, L D
  • Sherman, WCJ
  • Al-Hussaini, M M
• Publication Date: 1981-8

Media Info

• Pagination: 127 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Boreholes; Cohesive soils; Construction; Design; Field tests; Foundation engineering; Foundations; Laboratory tests; Loads; Mechanical properties; Piers (Supports); Piers (Wharves); Soil mechanics; Soil tests; Soils
• Uncontrolled Terms: Design criteria; Drilled shafts
• Old TRIS Terms: Construction problems; Foundations structures
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Construction; Design; Geotechnology; Highways; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls; I42: Soil Mechanics; I53: Construction of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00347211
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: WES/MP/GL-81-3 Final Rpt.
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 30 1982 12:00AM