NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY TRICHY, INDIA

Department of Civil Engineering

GIAN COURSE: SEISMIC SOIL-PILE INTERACTION (5 – 9th Aug. 2019)
Examination
Time: 14:00 - 17:00 Hours Date: 09 – 08 – 2019
Max. Marks: 100
Note: Answer all questions. Make suitable assumptions wherever necessary.
(Open book)

1. (a) Write short notes on the following:

(i) Pile-soil-pile interaction, and (ii) Group interaction factors [3]
(b) Briefly describe how one can model the partially restrained end condition of a laterally loaded
pile in numerical analysis. [4]

(c) Describe the subgrade reaction method of obtaining the variation of deflection and moment
along the length of pile subjected to lateral load. Give the analysis considering that the pile is
embedded in (i) sandy strata, and (ii) clayey strata. Discuss the effect of fixity of pile head on
deflection and bending moment. [3]
2. (a) A 400 mm diameter concrete pile has its head restrained against rotation at the ground level. The
pile penetrates a soil medium whose lateral soil modulus varies according to the equation E s = kx.
Compute the maximum lateral load that can be applied to limit the lateral deflection to 10 mm at
the ground level. What are the maximum +ve and –ve bending moment values? Take E c = 20 × 103
N/mm2, k = 200 kN/m3 and pile length = 25 m. [4]

(b) Two pile caps supporting a column each (with loads Q 1 = 1500 kN and Q 2 = 1200 kN, considering
DL + LL + EL) are connected by a beam as shown in Fig. 1. This solution was adopted due to the
proximity of Column 2 to the property line. Compute the loads to be supported by each pile. The
proposed pile foundation is to be situated in seismic Zone III as per IS 1893 (2016). [6]

Fig. 1

(c) Calculations show that individual pile stiffness for square, precast concrete piles with 400 mm
side is 500 kN/mm for total settlement of the order of 10 mm for a given soil profile. The piles are
27 m long and have a 25 GPa elastic modulus. The soil shear modulus G is equal to 12 + 1.25z with
z in meters and G in MPa. Poisson’s ratio is 0.2. Using a spacing of 3 pile diameters, what is the
settlement of a pile group with a square, 9-pile arrangement under a vertical load of 20,000 kN?
Determine the stiffness of the pile group neglecting the pile cap stiffness. [10]

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3. (a) Explain with equations why the frequency of an earthquake has to be increased by the geometric
scaling factor N during dynamic centrifuge testing. [5]

(b) Why do we use high viscosity fluid to saturate models in liquefaction tests conducted on a
centrifuge? Why is this preferable than reducing the particle sizes? [5]

(c) Explain briefly the main differences between Inertial and Kinematic loading on piles subjected to
seismic event. [5]

4. (a) Axial pile capacity can be estimated using CPT soundings. A 25.4 mm diameter CPT probe pushed
at a site gave the sounding shown in Fig. 2 in which each unit on the abscissa is 2 MPa. Estimate
the axial pile capacity of 300 mm diameter solid, RC pile driven to a depth of 12 m.

Fig. 2 CPT sounding [10]

(b) During a strong earthquake event the soil profile shown in Fig. 2 will liquefy to a depth of 7 m.
Estimate the Euler buckling load for two different pile head constraints for the concrete pile in
Problem 4(a) above. Make suitable assumptions that you may require, but clearly state your
assumptions. [10]

(c) Explain briefly why piles in lateral spreading ground can attract large horizontal forces. Then
explain why presence of a large axial load on such piles can be more detrimental. [5]

5. (a) A square foundation of size 2 m is to be built in a site that is considered to be in Zone IV as per IS-
1893 (2016). The SPT value N was observed to be greater than 50 at a depth of 28 m from the
ground surface. The soil being predominantly clayey in nature, G is assumed constant with depth.
Compute the static and seismic bearing capacity of the foundation considering the soil properties
as average c = 30 kN/m2 and ϕ = 10°. The foundation is expected to be located at 1.5 m below the
ground level. Unit weight of soil = 20 kN/m3. Shear wave velocity of soil at foundation level is 220
m/s. Use Meyerhof’s bearing capacity equation. [10]

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 (b) Figure 3 shows a concrete frame building with elevation dimensions. The structure is being
constructed at a place considered Zone III as per IS code. Columns are of dimension 300 x 450 and
beams of size 250 x 400 mm. Foundation F1 has size of 2 x 2 m and F2 has size of 2.75 x 2.75 m.
Concrete grade is M25. The bearing capacity of soil is 150 kN/m2, shear wave velocity is 250 m/s,
Poisson’s ratio of soil = 0.32, and unit weight of soil = 19 kN/m3. Weights due to DL and LL
contribution at each floor are as shown in the figure. Determine the base shear and story force,
considering 5% damping of the structure. Compute for (i) the frame as fixed-base; and (ii)
considering the foundation compliance effect.

Fig. 3 Three storied frame building supported on fixed-base

Later on, determine the base and floor shear for the frame as solved above. Consider 10% damping of
soil in translation and 15% in rotation. Consider footing thickness for F1 and F2 as 450 mm.
Determine the response considering:

• Ignoring inertial effect of foundation, and

• Considering inertial effect of foundation. [15]

(c) Explain load transfer mechanism in piled-raft foundation. [5]

OR
(c) A concrete pile of 500 mm diameter and 17.6 m long is embedded in a layered soil having sub-
grade modulus as shown in Fig. 4. The pile is subjected to a horizontal shear of 50 kN at top of the
pile cap along with a moment of 350 kN m due to earthquake. Compute the displacement,
moment and shear in pile under these loads. What will be the shear and moment in the pile if the
first layer of 4 m gets liquefied due to an earthquake event? Consider the pile cap depth as 1.5 m
and grade of concrete for pile = M30. Develop your own MATLAB code for solving this problem.

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 Fig. 4 Pile embedded in layered soil
[5]

[Finite Difference Formulation of this problem can very easily be solved in a spreadsheet or
general-purpose utility engineering softwares like MATLAB, Mathcad, etc.]

[Or else one may use LPILE software].