Pile Foundation

Piles are columnar elements in a foundation which have the function of transferring load from the supper-structure
weak compressibe strata or through water, onto stiffer or more compact and less compressible soils or onto rocks. They
required to carry uplift loads when used to support tall structures subjected to overturning forces form winds or waves. Pile
marine structures are subjected to lateral loads from impact of berthing ships and from waves. Combination of vertical and h
loads are carried where piles are used to support retaining walls, bridge pires and abtments and machinery foundations.

Where soil conditions do not favour the design or construction of shallow foundations, but a firm soil stratum can be
greater depth, piles can be used to transfer the loads from the superstructure down to the soil stratum, where the required re
is availabe.

Types of Piles

The British Standard Code of Prictice for Foundations ( BS 8004 ) place piles in three categories. They are
(i) Large displacement piles : - Its comprise solid-section piles or hollow-section piles with closed end which are driven
jacked into the ground and thus displaced the soil.
Driven Types
(a) Timber ( round or squared section, jointed or continuous )
(b) Precast Concrete ( solid or tubular section, joint or continuous )
(c) Prestressed concrete ( solid or tubular section )
(d) Steel Tube ( driven with closed end )
(e) Steel box ( driven with closed end )
(f) Fluted and Tapered Steel Tube
(h) Jacked-down solid concrete cylinder

Driven and Cast in Place Types

(a) Steel tube driven and withdrawn after placing concrete.

(b) Precast concrete shell filled with concrete.
(c) Thin-walled steel shell driven by withdrawable mandrel and then filled with concrete.

(ii) Small Displacement Piles : - which are also driven or jacked into the ground but have a relatively small cross-section
that the soil enter the hollow section where these pile types plug with soil during driving they become large displac
1. Precast concrete (tubular section driven with open end )
2. Prestressed concrete ( tubular section driven with open end )
3. Steel H section
4. Steel tube section ( driven with open end and soil removed as required )
5. Steel box section ( driven with open end and soil removed as required )

( iii ) Replacement Piles (bored piles) : - which are formed by first removing the soil by boring using wide range of drilling
concrete is placed. Performed elements of timber, concrete or steel may be placed in drilled holes.
1. Concrete placed in hole drilled by rotary auger ( bored and cast in place )
2. Tube placed in hole drilled as above and filled with concrete as necessary.
 3. Precast concrete unit placed in drilled hole.
4. Cement mortar or concrete injected into drilled hole.
5. Steel sections placed in drilled hole.
6. Steel tube drilled down.

Timber Piles

In many ways, timner is an ideal material for piling. It has a high strength to weight ratio, it is easy to handle, it is readily
indefinite life.
Timber piles, when situated wholly below ground-water level, are resistant to fungal decay and have an almost indefini
Although creosote or other preservatives extend the life of timber in damp or dry conditions they will not prolong its useful lif
Therefore it is the usual practice to cutoff timber piles just below the lowest predicted ground-water level and extend t

CP 112
Red Wood M50 Grade ( Pyinkado )
PRECAST PILE
Bending Stress
Tension
Compression Parallel to Grain
LOWEST GROUND
Compression Parpendicular to Grain
Shear Parallel to Grain
Modulus of Elasticity
TIMBER PILE

Precast Concrete Piles ( Pressure Piles )

Precast concrete piles have their principal use in marine and river structures, i.e. in situations where the use of drive
concrete piles are frequently more costly than driven and cast-in-situ types for two main reasons.
1. Reinforcement must be provided in the precast concrete pile to withstand the bending and tensile stresses which occur dur
2. The precast concrete pile is not readily cut down or extend to suit variations in the level of the bearing stratum to which the
However, there are many situations for land structures where th precast concrete piles can be more economical. Wh
rapidly driving achieve may outweight the cost of the heavier reinforcing steel necessary. Reinforcement may be needed in an

For normal or easy driving, a 25-grade concrete is suitable. This concrete has a minimum 28 day cube strength of 25

To avoid excessive flexibility while handling and driving the usual maximum
lengths that are square in section are as follows.
ACI ( 1947 )
Pile Size ( mm ) Max: Length ( m ) NBC ( 1967 )
250 12 New York City ( 198
300 15
350 18 ACI
400 21 New York City (198
 450 25

Steel Piles

Steel piles have the advantages of being robust, light to handle, capable of carrying high compressive high compressi
reach a bearing stratum or to develop a high compared with precast concrete piles. They can be designed as small displaceme
avoided.

They can be readily cut down and extended where the level of a pile which buckles during driving can be cut down a
bending forces.

Code of Practice Required for working Stresses in Steel Piles

ACI Recommendation - 0.35 fy ( Working stress in compression Related to yield strength )

Driven and Cast in Place Displacement Piles

Column Load

PILE CAPACITY CALCULATION

Q pa = Q UP / SF
SAFETY FACTOR - 2 For Driven Pile
> 3 For Bored Pile

Number of Plie Required for Each Column Load

N = P / Q pa x α
α = increasement factor

C/C Spacing of Pile < 3 d p

End Distance ( Pile End to Pile Cap End ) < 150mm ( 6in )
Pile Foundations

rom the supper-structure through COLUMN

soils or onto rocks. They may be
orm winds or waves. Piles used in PILE CAP PILE CAP BEAM
bination of vertical and horizontal
hinery foundations. C C

firm soil stratum can be found at T

um, where the required resistance

PILE END DISTANCE

BMD
SOFT COMPRESSIBLE SOIL
s. They are
osed end which are driven or

L
Q pa = Q up / SF

? Q si

LESS COMPRESSIBLE SOIL,

ROCK

N > = 30

atively small cross-sectional area. They include rolled steel H-sections, and pipe or box sections driven with an open end wuch
hey become large displacement types.

sing wide range of drilling technique. Concrete may be placed into an unlined or lined hole or lining may be withdrawn as the
ed holes.
 asy to handle, it is readily cut to length and trimmed after driving and in favourable conditions of exposure it has an almost

d have an almost indefinite life. However the portion above ground water level in a structure on land is liable to decay.
l not prolong its useful life indefinitely.
-water level and extend them above this level in concrete.

)
4.5 - 5.3 N/mm2
3.1 - 3.7 N/mm2
4.3 - 5.2 N/mm2
1.03 - 1.29 N/mm2
0.70 N/mm2
7300 - 9300 N/mm2

ns where the use of driven and cast-in-situ piles is impracticable or uneconomical for land structures un-jointed precast

stresses which occur during handling and driving.

ring stratum to which the piles are driven.
be more economical. Where large numbers of piles are to be installed in easy driving conditions the saving in cost due to the
ment may be needed in any case to resist bending stresses due to lateral loads or tensile stresses from uplift loads.

day cube strength of 25 N/mm 2.

Code of practice requirements for working stresses in precast concrete piles

ACI ( 1947 ) 0.33 UN ( Compression in concrete related to compressive sterngth. )

NBC ( 1967 ) 0.225 UN ( Compression in concrete related to compressive sterngth. )
New York City ( 1985 ) 0.25 UN ( Compression in concrete related to compressive sterngth. )

ACI 0.5 fy (or) 16.5 N/mm2 ( Tension in reinforcing steel )

New York City (1985 ) 0.4 fy ( Tension in reinforcing steel )
mpressive high compressive loads when driven onto a hard stratum, and capable of being driven hard to a deep penetration to
gned as small displacement piles, which is advantages in situation where ground heave and lateral displacement must be

driving can be cut down and re-trimmed for further driving. They have a good resilies and high resistance to buckling and

rength )
ESSIBLE SOIL

RESSIBLE SOIL,

= 30

h an open end wuch

e withdrawn as the
e it has an almost

ble to decay.

inted precast

g in cost due to the

ft loads.

)
)
)
deep penetration to
ement must be

o buckling and