N-value related parameter (End-bearing Capacity, Shaft resistance)

Refer to GEO (1/2006): Foundation Design and Construction

GEO (1/2006) - 6.4.5 Correlation with Standard Penetration Tests - 6.4.5.2 End-bearing
resistance
End-Bearing for Bored Piles on Soil
A rule-of-thumb method for use in the design of caissons and bored piles has been in use in
Hong Kong for some years (Chan, 1981). This method is based on the correlation that the
allowable end-bearing pressure is equal to 5 times the SPT N for soils below the groundwater
table. The allowable end-bearing pressure can be doubled for soils in dry condition.

GEO (1/2006) - 6.4.5 Correlation with Standard Penetration Tests - 6.4.5.2 Shaft resistance
Shaft resistance for large-diameter bored piles (soil friction)
For preliminary design of large-diameter bored piles, barrettes and hand-dug caissons in sandy
granitic saprolites(#) below sea level in Hong Kong, the relationship of τs / N─ of 0.8 to─ 1.4
(kPa) may be used, with N value limited to 200.
Shaft resistance for steel H-piles (soil friction)
Based on limited data in Hong Kong, the shaft resistance for small-displacement piles such as
steel H-piles can be taken as 1.5 N─ to 2 N ─ for design, for a N value up to about 80.

Summary Table

#GEO (1/2006) - 2.2.3 Geological Studies

Definition of saprolites
Granitic saprolites (i.e. mass that retains the original texture, fabric and structure of the parent
rock) are generally regarded as granular soils in terms of their engineering behaviour.
Estimation of Young’s modulus for soil → estimation of settlement
Publication 1/2006 (2006) Table 6.10 relating E to SPTN values. Nevertheless, it is generally
conservative to adopt the correlation as E = N (in MPa) for granular soils in the absence of more
accurate data for N ≥ 10 and the design allowable bearing capacity to be not greater than 250kPa.

Immediate settlements of foundations on granular soil:

Se (immediate settlement) is inversely proportional to Es