Book Description

Driven piles are widely used as foundations to support buildings, bridges, and other structures. In 2007, AASHTO has adopted LRFD method for foundation design. The probability based LRFD approach affords the mathematical framework from which significant improvements on the design and quality control of driven piles can be achieved. In this research, reliability-based quality control criteria for driven piles are developed based on the framework of acceptance-sampling analysis for both static and dynamic test methods with the lognormal distribution characteristics. As a result, an optimum approach is suggested for the number of load tests and the required measured capacities for quality control of driven piles. Furthermore, this research has compiled a large database of pile set-up, from which the reliability-based approach of FORM is employed to develop separate resistance factors for the measured reference (initial) capacity and predicted set-up capacity. This report also provides a Bayesian theory based approach to allow for combining the information from the static pile capacity calculation and dynamic pile testing data to improve pile design process. Specifically, the results from dynamic pile tests can be utilized to reduce the uncertainties associated with static analysis methods of pile capacity by updating the corresponding resistance factors. This research has also developed one-dimensional wave equation based algorithm to interpret the High Strain Testing (HST) data for the estimation of the shaft and toe resistance of driven piles. The closed form solution is obtained for determining the Smith damping factor and the static soil resistance. Finally, a set of new wireless dynamic testing equipment (both hardware and software) is developed for more efficient dynamic pile testing.