Pile foundations (Lecture-4)

Settlement of Pile :
i) Single pile:
For cohesionless soil,
total settlement = settlement of pile tip + settlement due to deformation of pile shaft
𝑆 = 𝑆𝑝 + 𝑆𝑓
𝐶𝑤 𝑄𝑝
𝑆𝑝 = 𝑞
𝑝 (1+𝐼𝐷 )2
Where,
𝑄𝑝 = Point load
𝐼𝐷 = Density index
𝑞𝑝 = Unit point bearing resistance
𝐶𝑤 = Settlement co-efficient; 0.04 for driven piles, 0.18 for bored piles
𝐿
𝑆𝑓 = (𝑄𝑝 + 𝛼𝑄𝑓 ) 𝐴𝐸
Where,
𝑄𝑝 = Point load
𝑄𝑓 = Friction load
𝛼 = Co-efficient depends on the distribution of skin friction along the shaft; taken as 0.6
𝐿 = Length of pile
𝐴 = Cross-sectional area of pile
𝐸 = Modulus of elasticity of pile material

For cohesive soil, It is very difficult to evaluate. If the pile penetrates homogeneous clay
soil, load transmitted to a depth 2/3 of the embeded length of pile. Settlement is calculated from
consolidation equation and stress distribution is calculated from Boussinesq equation.
If the pile penetrates a weak strata and rest in firm soil, stress distribution and consolidation
equations are used.

ii) Settlement of group of piles:

For cohesionless soil, the relationship between the settlement of a group and a single pile
at corresponding working loads may be expres as
𝑆
𝐹𝑔 = 𝑆𝑔
Where,
𝐹𝑔 = Group settlement ratio
𝑆𝑔 = Settlement of pile group
𝑆 = Settlement of individual pile
 Figure: Curve showing the relationship Figure: Curve showing the relationship
between group settlement ratio and relative between group settlement ratio and pile group
widths of pile groups in sand (Vesic,1967 ) widths in sand (Skempton et al.,1953 )

Group settlement of piles in compressible soil consists of immediate settlement and

consolidation settlement.
Immediate settlement (𝑠𝑖 ) is given by the following equation

𝜇1 𝜇0 𝑞𝑛 𝐵
𝑠𝑖 =
𝐸𝑢

Where,
𝑠𝑖 = Average immediate settlement
𝑞𝑛 = Pressure at base of equivalent raft
B = Width of the equivalent raft
𝐸𝑢 = Deformation modulus
𝜇1 , 𝜇0 = Influence factors for pile group width, B at depth D below ground surface
Consolidation settlement (se) is given by the following equation suggested by IS 8009
(Part 2) (1980).
𝐻𝑐 𝜎 + ∆𝜎
𝑠𝑒 = 𝑐𝑐 𝑙𝑜𝑔10
1+𝑒0 𝜎

Where,
𝑐𝑐 = Compression index, determined from the consolidation test data,
𝐻𝑐 = Thickness of the compressible layer,
𝑒0 = Initial void ratio,
𝜎 = Effective overburden pressure at the middle of the compressible layer,
∆𝜎 = Increase in effective stress due to superstructure in the middle of the compressible layer.

For cohesive soil, the problem involves evaluating the increase in stress ∆𝜎 beneath a
pile group when the group is subjected to a vertical load 𝑄𝑔 . The computation of stresses
depends on the type of soil through which the pile passes. The methods of computing the stresses
are explained below:
 (a) (b) (c)
Figure: Settlement of pile groups in clay soil

1. The soil in the first group given in Figure (a) is homogeneous clay extending to a large
depth. The load 𝑄𝑔 is assumed to act on a fictitious footing at a depth 2/3L from the surface and
distributed over the sectional area of the group. The load on the pile group acting at this level is
assumed to spread out at a 2 Vertical : 1 Horizental slope . The stres s ∆𝜎 at any depth z below the
fictitious footing may be found out.
2. In the second group given in Figure (b), the pile passes through a very weak layer of
depth L1 and the lower portion of length L2 is embedded in a strong layer. In this case, the
load 𝑄𝑔 is assumed to act at a depth equal to 2/3 L2 below the surface of the strong layer and
spreads at a 2 : 1 slope as before.
3. In the third case shown in (c) of the figure, the piles are point/end bearing piles. The load
in this case is assumed to act at the level of the firm stratum and spreads out at a 2 : 1 slope.

Negative skin friction: Negative skin friction or down drag is a phenomenon which occurs when
a soil layer surrounding a portion of pile shaft settles more than the pile. When a pile group passes
through a soft compressible soil layer, consolidation take place in course of time due to the
surcharge of overlying soil and lowering of ground water table which increases the effective stress
causing consolidation of the soil . The soil settles and the pile also settles with the consolidating
soil which causes draw down forces on pile as soil settles more than the pile, which reduces the
pile capacity. This is dangerous as the structure rested on pile also settles along with the pile.
Figure below showa a single pile (a) and group of piles (b) passing through a recently constructed
cohesive soil fill. Negative friction may also develop if the fill material is loose cohesionless soil.
It may also occure when fill is placed over peat or a soft clay stratum as shown in Figure (c).
Negative friction must be allowed when considering the factor of safety on the ultimate
carrying capacity of a pile. The factor of safety, Fs, where negative friction is likely to occur may
be written as,
𝑈𝑙𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑟 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑝 𝑝𝑖𝑙𝑒
𝐹𝑠 =
𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑+𝑁𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑
 (a) (b) (c)
Figure: Negative skin friction on piles

Computation of Negative Friction on a Single Pile: The magnitude of negative friction

𝐹𝑛 for a single pile in a fill may be taken as
For cohesive soils, 𝐹𝑛 = 𝑃𝐿𝑛 𝑐
1
For cohesionless soils, 𝐹𝑛 = 2 𝑃𝐿2𝑛 𝛾 𝑘 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝛿
Where,
𝐿𝑛 = Length of the pile in compressible material
𝑃 = Perimeter of pile
𝑐 = Shear strength of cohesive soils in the fill
𝑘 = Earth pressure co-efficient, normally lies between the active and passive earth pressure
co-efficients
𝜙
𝛿 = Angle of wall friction which varies from to ϕ
2
Computation of Negative Friction on a Pile groups: When a group of piles passes through
a compressible fill , the negative friction, 𝐹𝑛 , on the group may be found by any of the following
methods
𝐹𝑛𝑔 = 𝑛𝐹𝑛 or
The maximum value obtained from these equations should be used for design
𝐹𝑛𝑔 = 𝑃𝑔 𝐿𝑛 𝑐 + 𝐴𝑔 𝐿𝑛 𝛾
Where,
𝑛 = Number of piles in the group
𝛾 = The unit weight of soil within the pile group to a depth 𝐿𝑛
𝑃𝑔 = Perimeter of pile group
𝐴𝑔 = Sectional area of pile group within the perimeter 𝑃𝑔
𝑐 = Unit cohesion of the soil layer along the perimeter of the group

Preventive measures such as slip coating, sleeve on the pile shaft, carry out surcharging,
avoid filling etc. can be adopted to reduce the effect of negative skin friction.