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Maximum Spacing of Piles
Maximum Spacing of Piles
Soil Data :
GL
CLAY
4m
15m
HARD ROCK
As Shown in the Figure the Soil is clayey in Nature upto 4m, and
Soft Disintegrated Rock upto 15m. Hard Rock is available at a depth of
15m beneath the Abutment as well as Piers. And the nature of soil for
Abutments and Piers are same.
0.8m
2.5m
2.5m
0.8m
2.5m
2.5m
2.5m
The Length of Pile Cap is 9.1m in either Direction. The Spacing of Piles
is 2.5m i.e 2.5d .
The maximum Load coming on Piles is only 103 tonnes.
To optimize and reduce the number of Piles the following arrangement
is Proposed since the Load on Piles is much less than that of Load on
Pile below Pier (both socketted in same nature of Hard Rock)
9.1m
3.75m 9.1m
3.75m
3.75m 9.1m
3.75m
3.75m 3.75m
Since two Bridges are being constructed the total saving in Piles
can be 28Nos if the Pile arrangement with 9 Piles can be adopted
beneath the Abutment with Square Returns instead of 16 Piles Which
saves 70 Lakhs of Rupees.
Since the Load on Piles is far below the Safe Bearing Capacity of
Rock( SBC of ROCK assumed between 250t to 400t) , can we not
adopt spacing of 3.75d for piles beneath the Abutment.
View 1
As you have correctly guessed, the IS code does not stipulate the
maximum spacing between the piles in a group. Only the minimum
spacing is critical and is recommended to avoid overlap of (i)
pressure bulb along the length and end bearing of the pile; and (ii)
large reduction of pile group efficiency. There are other advantages
in using large pile spacing to minimise shadow effects of the outer
piles in a group if the pile group has to take lateral loads as well.
Therefore, there is no reason for you not to adopt greater pile spacing
as long as the thickness of pile cap/structural beam is designed to
take care of the additional moments at the top.
Regards
Ashish Juneja
Dr Ashish Juneja
Assistant Professor
View 2
04.01.2006
Dear Mr Meher,
The cost of a cap carrying the load from the structure to the pile head,
or the size and effective length of a ground beam, may influence the
spacing, type and size of pile.
Working rules which are generally, though not always, suitable, are as
follows
For Friction Piles, the Spacing center shall be not less than the
perimeter of the pile or, for circular piles, three times the diameter. The
spacing of piles deriving their resistance mainly from end bearing may
be reduced but the distance the surfaces of the shafts of adjacent piles
should be not less than the least width of the piles.
V.T.SHELAR
B.E.(Civil), MIE
Chartered Engineer
(Bridge Designer)
View 3
spacing of 3.75d is
acceptable provided that the following are OK.
Kameswara Rao