Tutorial – Piles (To be submitted)

[1] A precast concrete pile 450x450 mm in section, to form part of a jetty, is to be driven into a river bed
which consists of a depth of sand. The results of standard penetration tests in the sand are as follows:
Depth (m) 1.5 3.0 4.5 6.0 7.5 9.0 10.5
4 10 13 15 20 25 35
N

The pile is required to support a design compressive load of 650 kN and to withstand a design uplift load
of 140 kN. Determine the depth (Db) to which the pile must be driven according to the traditional method
with an overall load factor of 2.0. (7 marks)

[2] Figure below shows details of a borehole log on a site. 500mm diameter bored piles 15m long are
specified. Estimate the safe bearing capacity of one pile assuming the lose fill will settle after the piles
are place. Take a factor of safety of 2.5. (10 marks)
 Compare the bearing capacity of a 500mm diameter pile 12m long and of uniform cross section, with a
similar pile which has had the bottom 2m reamed out to 900mm diameter (7 marks)

[3] A pile group consists 12 piles of 40 cm dia spaced at 1.2 m. The site has predominantly normally
consolidated clay. Arrangement of the piles and soil profile is given in Figure below. The ground water
table is 4 m below the ground surface. It is assumed that the soil above water table has the same density
as below. Calculate the allowable load bearing capacity of pile group if the factor of safety is taken as
4. (14 Marks)

[4] Estimate the pile length required to carry the 670 kN axial load for the pile-soil system shown in Figure
below. The 460-mm pipe is to be filled with concrete after driving.
[5] A pile is driven through a soft cohesive deposit overlying a stiff clay. The GWT is 5 m below the ground
surface and the stiff clay is at the 8-m depth. Other data:

Estimate the length of a 550-mm diam pile to carry an allowable load Pa = 420 kN using an SF = 4

[6] A group of 9 piles with 3 piles in a row was driven into a soft clay extending from ground level to a
great depth. The diameter and the length of the piles were 30 cm and 10m respectively. The unconfined
compressive strength of the clay is 70 kPa. If the piles were placed 90 cm center to center, compute the
allowable load on the pile group on the basis of a shear failure criterion for a factor of safety of 2.5.
Assume α = 1.
[7] A concrete pile of 45 cm diameter was driven into sand of loose to medium density to a depth of 15m.
The following properties are known:
(a) Average unit weight of soil along the length of the pile, γ = 17.5 kN/m3, average φ = 30°,
(b) Average Ks = 1.0 and δ= 0.75φ.

Calculate (a) the ultimate bearing capacity of the pile, and (b) the allowable load with Fs = 2.5. Assume
the water table is at great depth. Use Berezantsev's method.
[8] A 45 cm diameter pipe pile of length 12m with closed end is driven into a cohesionless soil having φ =
35°. The void ratio of the soil is 0.48 and Gs = 2.65. The water table is at the ground surface. Estimate
(a) the ultimate base load Qb, (b) the frictional load Qf and (c) the allowable load Qa with F = 2.5. Use
the Berezantsev’s method for estimating Qb. For estimating Qf use Ks = 0.75 and δ=20°.
[9] A pile of 40 cm diameter and 18.5 m long passes through two layers of clay and is embedded in a third
layer. Figure below gives the details of the soil system. Compute Qf by the a - method and Qb by
Skempton's method. Determine Qa for F = 2.5.

[10] A ten-story building is to be constructed at a site where the water table is close to the ground surface.
The foundation of the building will be supported on 30 cm diameter pipe piles. The bottom of the pile
cap will be at a depth of 1.0 m below ground level. The soil investigation at the site and laboratory tests
have provided the saturated unit weights, the shear strength values under undrained conditions
(average), the corrected SPT values, and the soil profile of the soil to a depth of about 40 m. The soil
profile and the other details are given below.
Determine the ultimate bearing capacity of a single pile for lengths of (a) 15m, and (b) 25 m below the
bottom of the cap. Use a = 0.50 and Ks = 1.2. Assume δ = 0.8 φ.

[11] A group of 9 piles with 3 in a row was driven into sand at a site. The diameter and length of the piles
are 30 cm and 12m respectively. The properties of the soil are: φ= 30, e = 0.7, and Gs = 2.64. If the spacing
of the piles is 90 cm, compute the allowable load on the pile group on the basis of shear failure for Fs =
2.0 with respect to skin resistance, and Fs = 2.5 with respect to base resistance. For φ = 30°, assume Nq
= 22.5 and Nγ = 19.7. The water table is at ground level.
[12] Determine the ultimate bearing capacity of the 800mm diameter concrete, bored pile given in the

figure below. Assume the pile-friction angle =0.75΄

[13] Find the allowable bearing capacity of a single pile in the group of piles given below, by using:
3
(Diameter: 0.4m, Cu=50kPa, =18kN/m , and use F.S.=2.5)