University of Benghazi

Faculty of Engineering and Petroleum Jalu

Civil Engineering Department

Lecture (3)

Equations for Estimating

Pile Capacity

Foundation Engineering II (CE422)

Mr. Hamza Makeen

 Lecture (3): Equations for Estimating Pile Capacity Mr. Hamza Makeen

Lecture (3)
Equations for Estimating Pile Capacity

3.1 Estimating pile length:

Figure (3.1): (a) and (b) Point bearing

piles; (c) friction piles

- Selecting the type of pile to be used and

estimating its necessary length are fairly

difficult tasks that require good judgment.

- In addition to being broken down into the

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 Lecture (3): Equations for Estimating Pile Capacity Mr. Hamza Makeen

classification, piles can be divided into

three major categories, depending on their

lengths and the mechanisms of load transfer

to the soil: (a) point bearing piles,

(b) friction piles, and (c) compaction piles.

3.2 Equations for Estimating Pile Capacity:

- The ultimate load-carrying Qu capacity of a

pile is given by the equation:

𝑄𝑢 = 𝑄𝑝 + 𝑄𝑠

Where

QP = capacity of the pile point

QS = frictional resistance (skin friction)

derived from the soil–pile interface.

- Numerous published studies cover the

determination of the values of and Excellent

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 Lecture (3): Equations for Estimating Pile Capacity Mr. Hamza Makeen

- reviews of many of these investigations

have been provided by Vesic (1977), Meyerhof

(1976), and Coyle and Castello (1981).

- These studies afford an insight into the

problem of determining the ultimate pile

capacity.

Figure (3.2): Ultimate load-carrying capacity of pile

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 Lecture (3): Equations for Estimating Pile Capacity Mr. Hamza Makeen

3.3 Allowable Load, Qall

- After the total ultimate load-carrying

capacity of a pile has been determined by

summing the point bearing capacity and the

frictional (or skin) resistance, a

reasonable factor of safety should be used

to obtain the total allowable load for each

pile, or

𝑄𝑢
𝑄𝑎𝑙𝑙 =
𝐹𝑆

- where

Qall = allowable load-carrying capacity for each

pile

FS = factor of safety

- The factor of safety generally used ranges

from 2.5 to 4, depending on the uncertainties

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 Lecture (3): Equations for Estimating Pile Capacity Mr. Hamza Makeen

surrounding the calculation of ultimate

load.

3.4 Point Bearing Capacity Qp

3.4.1 Meyerhof’s Method for Estimating Qp

1. Sand c = 0

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Lecture (3): Equations for Estimating Pile Capacity Mr. Hamza Makeen

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 Lecture (3): Equations for Estimating Pile Capacity Mr. Hamza Makeen

2. Clay Ø = 0

3.4.2 Coyle and Castello’s Method for

Estimating Qp in Sand

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Lecture (3): Equations for Estimating Pile Capacity Mr. Hamza Makeen

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 Lecture (3): Equations for Estimating Pile Capacity Mr. Hamza Makeen

Solved Examples
Example 3.1

- Consider a 15 m long concrete pile with a

cross section of 0.45 m × 0.45 m fully

embedded in sand. For the sand, given: unit

3
weight having γ = 17 kN / m and soil

0
friction angle and Ø = 35 , Estimate the

ultimate point with each of the following:

1. Meyerhof’s method

2. The method of Coyle and Castello.

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 Lecture (3): Equations for Estimating Pile Capacity Mr. Hamza Makeen

Solution:

1. Meyerhof’s method

2. The method of Coyle and Castello.

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 Lecture (3): Equations for Estimating Pile Capacity Mr. Hamza Makeen

3.5 Frictional Resistance Qs in Sand

Briaud Method:

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 Lecture (3): Equations for Estimating Pile Capacity Mr. Hamza Makeen

Solved Examples
Example 3.2

- Consider a concrete pile that is 0.305 m ×

0.305 m in cross section in sand. The pile

is 15.2 m long. The following are the

variations of N60 with depth.

1. Estimate the Qs of the pile.

2. Determine the allowable load-carrying

capacity of the pile based on Briaud’s

method. Use a factor of safety, FS = 3

Given Qp = 575.4 kN

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Lecture (3): Equations for Estimating Pile Capacity Mr. Hamza Makeen

Depth below ground surface

N60
(m)
1.5 8
3 10
4.5 9
6 12
7.5 14
9 18
10.5 11
12 17
13.5 20
15 28
16.5 29
18 32
19.5 30
21 27

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 Lecture (3): Equations for Estimating Pile Capacity Mr. Hamza Makeen

Solution

1. Estimate the Qs of the pile.

2. The allowable load-carrying capacity of the pile

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 Lecture (3): Equations for Estimating Pile Capacity Mr. Hamza Makeen

3.6 Frictional (Skin) Resistance in Clay

α Method:

- According to the α method, the unit skin

resistance in clayey soils can be

represented by:

where α = empirical adhesion factor.

- The approximate variation of the value α of

is shown in Table 11.10.

- The ultimate side resistance can thus be

given as:

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Lecture (3): Equations for Estimating Pile Capacity Mr. Hamza Makeen

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 Lecture (3): Equations for Estimating Pile Capacity Mr. Hamza Makeen

Solved Example 3.3

Example 3.3

- Refer to the pile in saturated clay shown in

Figure 4.1. for the pile,

Calculate the skin resistance by: the α

method.

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 Lecture (3): Equations for Estimating Pile Capacity Mr. Hamza Makeen

Solution:

HOME WORK 1

Use The β method and λ to calculate the skin

resistance in clay for the previous example.

REFERENCE:

th
Principles of Foundation Engineering 7 Edition SI-

Units-ED, BRAJA DAS (Page: 575 section 11.12)

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