BEARING CAPACITY OF SHALLOW FOOTING DUE TO DUE TO

DYNAMIC LOAD
DESIGN OF PILES IN CLAY FORMATIONS
 DESIGN OF PILE GROUPS

Typically the piles are installed in group and provided with a pile cap. The column is
placed on a pile cap so that the column load is equally distributed among the
individual pile in the group.
The capacity of a pile group is obtained by using the efficiency factor.
Pile group factor = efficiency of the pile group x single pile capacity x Number of
piles

If the pile group contain 16 pile and the capacity of a single is 30tons and the group
efficiency is found to be 0.9, the group capacity is 432 tons.
Pile group capacity = 0.9 x 30 x 16 = 432 tons
Thus, high pile group efficiency is desirable; the question is how to improve the group
efficiency. The pile group efficiency is dependent on the spacing between piles. When
the piles in the group are closer together, the pile group efficiency actually decreases.
When the piles are placed far apart, efficiency increases. But because the size of the
pile cap has to be larger, the cost of the pile cap increases.
ASSHTO Guidelines for pile group in cohesive soils, (clays and clayey silts), in
noncohesive soils (sands and silts) and pile groups in strong soils overlying weaker
soils are presented in the following tables.
Pile group efficiency for clayey soils.
Pile spacing (centre to centre) Group Efficiency
3D 0.67
4D 0.78
5D 0.89
6 D or more 1.00
D = diameter of piles

Pile group efficiency for sandy soils.

Pile spacing (centre to centre) Group Efficiency
3D 0.67
4D 0.74
5D 0.80
6D 0.87
7D 0.93
8D 1.00

Design Example (Single Eccentricity)

A 10 ton column load is acting on point K in the group pile grid given below. Find the
loads on piles 1,2,3,4.

Y
1 2
a1

X K 5ft

e = 1ft

4 3
5 ft

Discussion.
If the column load were to act on the centre of gravity, all four columns would get 2.5
tons each
However since the load is acting at point k, the load on piles 1 and 4, would be larger
and the load on piles 2 and 3 would be smaller.
Assume loads on the piles to be R1, R2, R3 and R4 respectively. The area of a pile is
considered to be A.
The stress on a typical pile in a pile group σ is given as

C.e.α
σ = R1 = C ± 1
1 A nA I

σʹ1 = stress on pile 1.; A = area of the pile; e = eccentricity, n = no of piles;;

C = column load
𝒶𝒶1 = the distance between the centers of pile 1 and the centre of gravity of the pile
group, measured parallel to e (eccentricity)
I = moment of inertia of the pile group, measured from the axis perpendicular to the
eccentricity (going through the centre of gravity)
For the problem thus, the Y axis is perpendicular to the eccentricity. Hence all
distances should be distances should be obtained from the Y – axis.
Compute the moment if inertia (I)
Moment of inertia I = A * r2 (r = distance to the pile from the axis)
In this case the axis perpendicular to the eccentricity passing through the centre of
gravity should be considered.

I = A x 2.52 +A x 2.52 +A x 2.52 x A x 2.52 = 2.5A

(The above distances to the piles are measured from the axis perpendicular to e
passing through the centre of gravity. The measurement should be taken parallel to e.
In this case, distance to all piles was taken from the Y axis measured parallel to
eccentricity.)

Compute a1
a1 = the distance between the centers of pile 1 and the centre of gravity of the pile
group, measured parallel to e (eccentricity).
a1 = 2.5ft
Compute the magnitude of stress in the different piles.

R1 C C.e.α 1
σ1 = = ±
A nA I

R1 10 10 *1* 2.5 3.5

= + = ∴ R1 = 3.5tons
A 4A 25 A A

• + signs was used since pile1 was on the same side as the column load. The
location of the external load enhances the load on pile 1.

By symmetry, load on pile 4 is the same as pile 1. Hence R1 = R4 = 3.5 tons

Compute the load on pile 2.

R2 C C.e.α 2 10 10 *1* 2.5 1.5
= − = − =
A nA I 4A 25 A A

• - signs was used since the bending moment due to eccentricity tends to reduce the
load on pile 2. R2 = 1.5 tons.

By symmetry the load on pile 3, R3 is also 1.5 tons.

For the column load eccentric to both x and y axis of the pile grid, the column load is
given as 20tons. Find the load on each pile.

Y
1 2
a1

X 6ft

ey =1.5ft ex = 1ft

4 3
7ft

The general form of the equation for stress on each pile in the grid is given as
R C.e .α C.e .a
y y
σ1 = 1 = C ± x x±
A nA I I
y x

Ix = 36A; Iy = 49A ;; for pile 1, ax = 2.5ft ;; ay = 3.0ft.

ex = 1ft ; ey = 1.5ft

For Pile 1
R
σ 1 = 1 = 20 + 20.1.3.5 − 20.1.3
A 4A 49 A 36 A
σ1= 3.93/A tons/sqft ; R1 = 3.93tons

For Pile 2
R
σ 2 = 2 = 20 − 20 *1* 3.5 − 20 *1.5 * 3
A 4A 49 A 36 A
σ1= 1.07/A tons/sqft ; R1 = 1.07tons

For Pile 3
R
σ 3 = 3 = 20 − 20 *1* 3.5 + 20 *1.5 * 3
A 4A 49 A 36 A
σ3 = 6.07/A tons/sqft ; R1 = 6.07tons

For Pile 4
R
σ 4 = 4 = 20 + 20 *1* 3.5 + 20 *1.5 * 3
A 4A 49 A 36 A
σ4 = 8.93/A tons/sqft ; R4 = 8.93tons
DESIGN MODEL FOR PILE GROUP FAILURE.

Pile s in a group can fail as a group; this type of failure is known as group failure, a
mode of failure that occurs mainly in clay soils.

Assume a pile group with dimension of L x B x D as shown below.

W
D

Skin friction of the group = 2 x (LxW) x D x 𝒶𝒶.Cu

𝒶𝒶 = skin friction coefficient; Cu = Su =cohesion of the clay soil = Qu/2
End bearing of the group = Nc x Cu x (L x W)

Pile group capacity = 2 x (LxW) x D x 𝒶𝒶.Cu + Nc x Cu x (L x W)

Nc is usually taken as 9.0

Pile group capacity based on capacity of individual pile = efficiency * N * single pile
capacity
N = number of piles in the group.