Capacity estimation of piles using dynamic methods

Abstract

The foundation is the most important part of any type of structure. Pile foundations are used to transfer very high loads from supper structure to the ground. Therefore, design and construction of piles must be carried out with a high confidence. Engineers are using various methods and equations for testing pile foundations and those methods are improving when new technologies come. Most reliable way of testing of pile is to have a full scale maintain load test on that pile. But this is become critical when large piles encountered. Therefore, application of High Strain Dynamic Test (HSDT) is getting popular. The use of pile foundations is increased and new driving techniques, as well as new sophisticated stress wave measurement equipments have led researchers to look for better understanding of dynamic and static behavior of the hammer-pile-soil system and to develop more reliable methods of pile analysis. The reliability of pile dynamic test is mainly dependent on the accuracy ofthe dynamic soil parameters used in the data analysis. The scope of this study is to find reliable driving equations for different situations by comparing the capacities taken from driving equations and HSDT measurements. Some piles were subject to both HSDT and Static load test to increase the reliability of readings.