Pile Cap Design

A brief introduction

A pile cap is a reinforced concrete structure, which allows the load from a
column to be equally shared between a group of piles:

Column

Pile cap

Piles

Typical Proportions

Centre line pile spacing = 3 x pile diameter

Cap depth = 2.5 x pile diameter

Cap projection beyond piles = 150mm

If all piles are assumed to be equally loaded then one must accept that some re-
distribution of load (and therefore soil stresses) takes place.

This is particularly required in five and six pile caps.

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Methods of Design

The 'Truss' Analogy

Pile caps for groups of two to five piles are designed using the 'Truss. analogy:

Compression - resisted by concrete

Additional bursting forces are resisted

by horizontal reinforcement in the sides
of the pile cap

Tension - resisted by steel reinforcement

Reinforcement is designed to provide:

a) Resistance to tensile 'Truss' forces in the bottom of the cap

b) Resistance to vertical shear
c) Resistance to punching shear
d) Resistance to bursting forces in the side of the cap

Tensile 'Truss' Forces

Nl
2 pile cap Ft = kN
4d

Nl
3 pile cap Ft = kN
9d

Nl
4 pile cap Ft = kN
8d

Nl
5 pile cap Ft = kN
10d
where d= effective depth of cap
l = pile c/c spacing
N = factored column load

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Caps in Bending

Caps for six pile groups would be designed to transfer the column load primarily
by bending resistance.

Reinforcement is thus designed to provide:

a) Resistance to tensile bending forces in the bottom of the cap

b) Resistance to vertical shear
c) Resistance to punching shear
d) Resistance to bursting forces in the side of the cap - since some 'Truss'
action can occur.

Anchorage (Truss and Bending)

Provide a full anchorage length beyond the pile centre line, for all bars in
tension ('Truss' or bending).

Lacers

Horizontal reinforcement must be provided in all faces of the pile cap:

Minimum area ∃ 1/4 area of tensile reinforcement

Pile Embedment in the Cap

All piles must be cast in to the cap by at least 75mm

600mm of pile reinforcement must be anchored into the cap

Shear

1. Vertical shear - check at critical section 1/5 pile diameter the inside piles.
- use full width and effective depth d for shear area
2d
- shear stress vc x
av
1/3 1/4
0.79  100As   400 
From Table 3.9 in BS 8110: vc =    
γ m  bv d   d 
1/3
 100As 
Reduces to: vc = 0.707   for fcu = 25N/mm2 and (m = 1.25
 bv d 
2. Punching shear - check around column perimeter (at column face)
- shear stress 0.8 fcu or 5 N/mm2
These checks are the same as for Pad Foundations.

C:\My Structures\BEng3 SED\Teaching\Foundations\Pile

3 Caps.doc 03/11/03