Wasit University

College of Engineering
Civil Engineering Department

Introduction to

DEEP FOUNDATIONS

1
TYPES OF DEEP FOUNDATIONS:

1- PILES ‫الركائز‬ Lp >>> D0

2- PIERS (Drilled Shafts) ‫الدعائم‬

Lp > D0
3- CAISSONS ‫الكيسونات‬

Figure 1: Deep Foundations

❑ Pier or caisson can be analyzed in the same way as a pile.

❑ Pier or caisson are simply larger piles. Instead of a pile group,

one large caisson or pier can be utilized.

➢ Caissons are often used as foundations for offshore structures

➢ Piers for large bridges crossing water.

Pile foundation
❑ Pier or caisson differ only in the method of installation.
➢ Pier: Making a hole into the ground to the required depth and then insert
reinforcing & fill with concrete.

➢ Caisson: Prefabricated box or cylinder sunk into ground and

filled with concrete

Caissons or drilled shafts

a. Piles b. Piers c. Caisson

Pile Foundations

❑ Piles: are stiff members used to transmit surface loads to the bearing strata.
❑ In the following circumstances, pile (deep) foundations may offer a more efficient and less costly alternative.
1. The upper soils are so weak and/or the structural loads so high that spread footings would be too large.
2. The loads are horizontal (lateral), tension (uplift), or inclined.
3. Avoid scour damage.
4. For offshore construction.
5. Problematic soils;
▪ Swelling soils, giving tension on the pile.
▪ Collapsing soils, adding down-drag forces on the pile.

Avoid scour damage Resist Swelling Soil

CLASSIFICATIONS OF PILES:

1- On the basis of Construction Method

A. Driven or Displacement Piles.

B. Bored or replacement (Non Displacement) (Cast-in-Situ) Piles.

Typical installation of Driven precast piles Augered (Bored) pile with temporary casing in loose sand
 A. Driven Precast piles (for Concrete Piles)

➢ Some general facts about precast concrete piles are as follows:

●● Usual length: 10 m to 15 m
●● Usual load: 300 kN to 3000 kN

Figure : Precast piles with ordinary reinforcement

➢ Some general facts about precast prestressed piles are as follows:

●● Usual length: 10 m to 45 m
●● Maximum length: 60 m
●● Maximum load: 7500 kN to 8500 kN

●● Advantages:
a. Can be subjected to hard driving
b. Corrosion resistant
c. Can be easily combined with a concrete
superstructure

●● Disadvantages: Figure : Precast prestressed piles

a. Difficult to achieve proper cutoff
b. Difficult to transport
B. Bored (Cast-in-Situ) Concrete Piles.

(1) Cased (a - e)

Some general facts about cased cast-in-place piles are as follows:

● Usual length: 5 m to 15 m
● Maximum length: 30 m to 40 m
● Usual load: 200 kN to 500 kN
● Approximate maximum load: 800 kN

● Advantages:
a. Relatively cheap
b. Allow for inspection before pouring concrete
c. Easy to extend
● Disadvantages:
a. Difficult to splice after concreting
b. Thin casings may be damaged during driving

Figure: Cast-in-place concrete piles (Cased)

(2) Uncased (f &g)

Following are some general facts about uncased cast-in-place concrete piles:
● Usual length: 5 m to 15 m
● Maximum length: 30 m to 40 m
● Usual load: 300 kN to 500 kN
● Approximate maximum load: 700 kN

● Advantages:
a. Initially economical
b. Can be finished at any elevation
● Disadvantages:
a. Voids may be created if concrete is placed rapidly
b. Difficult to splice after concreting
c. In soft soils, the sides of the hole may cave in, squeezing the concrete

Figure: Cast-in-place concrete piles (Uncased)

2. On the basis of Material

1. Timber piles

2. Steel (H-section, Tube, X-section)

3. Concrete ( Precast or cast-in-

situe)

4. Composite piles
3. On the basis the load transmission and functional behavior.
❑ End Bearing Piles (Point Bearing Piles): Tip point carries most of the load.
‫نقطة االرتكاز تنقل معظم حمل الركيزة‬

❑ Friction Piles : Side friction or adhesion carries most of the load.

‫معظم حمل الركيزة ينتقل للتربة عن طريق االحتكاك السطحى‬

❑ Combined End Bearing and Friction Piles : Tip point and side friction carry the load.
‫حمل الركيزة ينتقل للتربة عن طريق نقطة االرتكاز واالحتكاك السطحى معا‬

Figure : (a) and (b) Point bearing piles; (c) friction piles
What are the loads coming on to the pile foundation?

❑ All the loads from superstructure viz. Dead loads, Live loads, Wind loads, and Seismic loads
❑ The loads from the surrounding soil in case of seismic event.
❑ Water loads in the case of Offshore structures.

Figure: Typical loading diagram on a single pile embedded in soil

What are the load carrying mechanisms of piles?

Figure: Transfer of structural loads from a pile foundation into the ground: (a) axial downward (compressive)
loads, (b) axial upward (tensile) loads, and (c) lateral loads.

Pile Capacities
❑ Axial Capacity (a)
❑ Pullout or Tension Capacity (b)
❑ Lateral Capacity (c)
Individual Pile Capacity ‫حساب قابلية تحمل الركيزة املفرده‬

Methods of Estimating Pile Load Capacity:

1. Static Analysis from the Shear Strength Parameters

‫ تحديد قابلية تحمل الركيزه من التحليل االستاتيكي بمعرفة خواص القص في التربة وكذلك ابعاد الركيزة‬.1
Data required: Soil Parameters such as cohesion c, angle of internal friction
φ, adhesion factor between soil and pile material, cross section, ..etc.

2. Dynamic Driving Formula

‫ تحديد قابلية تحمل الركيزه من صيغة دق الركائز املستخدمة‬.2

3. Pile Load Test

‫ تحديد قابلية تحمل الركيزه من اختبارات تحميل الركائز‬.3

4. Field Tests: SPT, CPT,…etc.

‫ تحديد قابلية تحمل الركيزه من االختبارات الحقلية‬.4
Load Transfer Mechanism

❑ Consider a pile of length L, as shown in Figure below. The load on the pile is gradually
increased from zero to Q(z=0) at the ground surface.

❑ Part of this load will be resisted by the side friction developed along the shaft Q1, and part
by the soil below the tip of the pile, Q2.

How are Q1 and Q2 related to the total load?

❖ If measurements are made to obtain the load

carried by the pile shaft, Q(z) at any depth z,
the nature of the variation found will be like
that shown in curve 1
❑ The frictional resistance per unit area at any depth
z may be determined as:

p = perimeter of the cross section of the pile.

❑ If the load Q at the ground surface is gradually increased,

➢ The maximum frictional resistance along the pile shaft will be fully mobilized when the
relative displacement between the soil and the pile is about 5 to 10 mm, irrespective of
the pile size and length L.
➢ The maximum point resistance Q2 = Qp will not be mobilized until the tip of the pile has
moved about 10 to 25% of the pile width (or diameter).

➢ The lower limit applies to driven piles and the upper limit to bored piles.

At ultimate load [Figure d and curve 2(Figure b)], Q(z=0) = Qu