Finding the criteria for thickness of pile cap for it to behave as a rigid

member for the following assumption is valid :

force in pile = P/A (+/-) M/Z

I have made a STAAD model of pile cap (2 mx2m) with five no piles.
(See the STAAD model)

I am studying the effect of variation of pile cap thickness on the pile

reaction.

For the study I have considered central pile , and plotted the graph of
variation of pile recation wrt to thickness.

Pile selected = 500 dia , 60 T capacity , L =15 m (see exel file)

from this pile stiffness K is calculated which is applied is support at pile

locations.

Following observation from analysis :

As the thickness is increasing , the load on the central pile decreases

and gets distributed to peripheral piles ; which is an expected
behaviour since the pile cap becomes rigid, it distributes the load to a
wider area.

See the graph , as the thk increases , the central pile recation becomes
less and less and becomes parallel to x axis i.e thickness.

Ideally , there is one thickness , which will make reactions in al the pile
same i.e P/N .(in this case , difference in pile reactions is very less

I have tried to increase the thk to 20 m

I think for practical purpose , thickness of 1.2 to 1.5 wheregraph

become assymptotic is fairly o.k.
Regards,

Damodar S Kamat