TECHNICAL NOTE

PROPOSAL OF PILE FOUNDATION FOR BRIDGE 16A & 16B

INTRODUCTION
The bore hole proposed as part of the Geotechnical investigations of Bridge 16A, Bridge 16B
and Road Bridge 02 is completed, and the details of the bore logs are detailed in the table 1
below. From the investigation result it is understood that the rock strata level observed is well
below the anticipated rock level. Due to this, the initial proposed open foundation seems
impractical and Pile foundations shall be adopted for all the three bridges as recommended
in the Geotechnical Report.
Table 1. Details of Bore Holes

Package 9A (Final Bore Depth Log)

RL. at Rock Rock DEPTH OF ROCK
RL. at Bore
S.No Location Bore Strata Depth FRL. ROCK STRATA AT
NGL Depth
End R.L from OGL FROM FRL BRIDGE 16
Rail Bridge 16A
1 Abutment A1 811.800 779.800 785.300 26.500 32.000 825.000 39.700 798.000
2 Pier P1 805.600 785.600 792.600 13.000 20.000 825.000 32.400 798.000
3 Pier P2 806.000 797.000 802.500 3.500 9.000 825.000 22.500 793.250
4 Pier P3 804.000 792.500 798.000 6.000 11.500 825.000 27.000 798.872
5 Pier P4 809.000 798.500 804.000 5.000 10.500 825.000 21.000 798.600
6 Abutment A2 823.710 793.710 799.210 24.500 30.000 825.000 25.790 798.642
Rail Bridge 16B
7 Abutment A1 817.560 785.560 790.560 27.000 32.000 825.000 34.440 795.000
8 Pier P1 807.400 781.400 786.400 21.000 26.000 825.000 38.600 795.000
9 Pier P2 809.700 789.200 794.700 15.000 20.500 825.000 30.300 793.250
10 Pier P3 812.900 796.900 801.900 11.000 16.000 825.000 23.100 798.872
11 Pier P4 812.600 797.500 802.600 10.000 15.500 825.000 22.400 798.600
12 Abutment A2 827.200 806.200 806.200 21.000 26.000 825.000 18.800 798.642
Road Bridge 02
13 Abutment A1 819.500 783.500 788.500 31.000 36.000 825.000 36.500 795.000
14 Pier P1 816.000 776.000 787.500 28.500 40.000 825.000 37.500 795.000
15 Pier P2 810.100 782.100 787.100 23.000 28.000 825.000 37.900 793.250
16 Pier P3 815.000 784.500 790.000 25.000 30.500 825.000 35.000 798.872
17 Abutment A2 815.500 794.500 801.000 14.500 21.000 825.000 24.000 798.600

CHALLENGES OF OPEN FOUNDATION

Adoption of open foundation is challenging for all the three proposed bridges due to the
following points:
1. Deep excavation of 26m at the location of the Abutment 1 of all the three bridges.
2. Supporting of the excavation at the deep excavation locations during construction.
 3. Overlapping of foundations with the existing bridge 16. (Abutment 2 of bridge 16
with Pier 1 of bridge 16A as shown in the figure 1.)
4. Overlapping of pressure bulbs of the foundations.

Figure 1. Sketch of Overlapping foundations of Bridge 16A and Abutment A2 of Bridge

16

FEASIBILITY OF PILE FOUNDATION

A preliminary feasibility study for the pile foundations is carried out by taking the factors of
ease of execution, cost, and other technical parameters. The location of Pier 1 of bridge 16A
is considered as part of the study and the following points were noted.
1. The excavation depth of more than 12 m required for open foundation can be
avoided by providing piles as shown in the figure 2.
2. The support measure required on the excavated slopes during construction can be
avoided with pile.
3. A cost comparison of the open foundation and pile foundation is made and presented
in Table 2. From the analysis it is understood that the cost of constructing a pile
foundation is economical as compared to that of an open foundation.
 Figure 2. Sketch for the Location of Pier 1 of Bridge 16A
Table 2. Cost Comparison of Open foundation and Pile Foundation at the Location of
Pier 1 of Bridge 16A.

BR 16A-QUANTITY OF OPEN FOUNDATION - PIER 1

SL NO ITEM LENGTH WIDTH HEIGHT QUANTITY UNIT TOTAL QTY. UNIT RATE COST REMARKS
1 EXCAVATION 36.75 36.75 12.5 16882.03 cum 16882.03 ₹ 345.00 ₹ 43,68,225.59 SOIL
₹ 612.00 ₹ 25,82,950.78 ROCK
2 CONCRETE 30 30 2 1800.00 cum 2888.45 ₹ 10,170.00 ₹ 2,93,75,521.80 INCLUDING EVERTHING
105 900 2 1005.00 cum
3 PIER CONCRETE 2.5 8.5 83.45 cum
4 REINFORCEMENT MT 361.06 ₹ 96,264.00 ₹ 3,47,56,701.46
5 SHUTTERING 30 30 2 240.00 sqm 240.00 ₹ 450.00 ₹ 1,08,000.00
6 BACK FILL 13993.58 cum 13993.58 ₹ 100.00 ₹ 13,99,358.27
TOTAL ₹ 7,25,90,757.90
SUMMARY - BR 16A-PILE FOUNDATION QUANTITY - PIER 1
SL NO ITEM LENGTH WIDTH HEIGHT QUANTITY UNIT TOTAL QTY.
1 EXCAVATION 21.75 12.75 2.5 693.28 cum 693.28 ₹ 345.00 ₹ 2,39,182.03 SOIL
2 CONCRETE cum 864.12 ₹ 10,170.00 ₹ 87,88,049.63 INCLUDING EVERTHING
3 REINFORCEMENT MT 172.82 ₹ 96,264.00 ₹ 1,66,36,633.43
4 SHUTTER 19.85 10.8 1.5 91.95 sqm 91.95 ₹ 450.00 ₹ 41,377.50
5 PILING LENGTH m 240.00 ₹ 21,542.00 ₹ 51,70,080.00
6 PILE CASING MT 24.86 ₹ 74,903.01 ₹ 18,61,998.52
7 TESTING Nos. 15.00 ₹ 4,18,536.42 ₹ 62,78,046.30 LOAD + INTEGERITY+ LATERAL
TOTAL ₹ 3,87,76,185.39

CONCLUSION
Form the feasibility study conducted by considering the factors like ease of construction, cost
of construction, other geotechnical and engineering aspects, it is recommended to provide
pile foundation for all the three proposed bridges. The report provided as part of
geotechnical investigations also recommends to provide pile foundations for all the three
bridges.