EVALUATING END BEARING

CAPACITY OF LARGE CAST IN

PLACE BORED PILES IN SAND
USING THE STATIC FORMULA

Ashraf Mohamed Eid and Hossam El Badry

 GENERAL STATIC FORMULA

Qult = Pb Nq π R2 + Σ KHC Po tan δ 2 π R ∆H

For homogeneous formation the equation becomes:

Qult = Pb Nq π R2 + KHC Po tan δ 2 π R H

Where:

Pb = effective vertical pressure at pile tip

Nq = soil bearing capacity factor. It can be obtained from tables as follows:

Ø degrees 25 30 35 40
Nq 15 30 75 150

for driven piles Ø = (Ø (before drilling) +40) / 2

for cast in place piles Ø = Ø (before drilling) – 3
STRESS SETTLEMENT RELATION (EGYPTIAN CODE)
∆(cm) StressKg/cm2

1 5
2 8
3 11
15 34

Relationship between Ø and Ultimate Stress at Pile Tip (Code)

This can be given by:

Ultimate unit end bearing = 3E-06 Ø 4.9572
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TIP RESISTANCE AND SOIL
PARAMETERS (AUTHORS)

Reese and Wright (1977), and Reese and O'Neil (1988) worked in an
extensive research in that point. Reese and O'Neil (1988) method was
based on settlement value of 5% of pile base diameter. The ultimate end
bearing resistance is given by the following equations:

qu(ton/m2) = 5.7 N30 N30≤75

qu(ton/m2) = 430 N30>75

Reese and Wright method (1977) presented the following two equations for
evaluation of qu at the same settlement value (settlement 5% of pile base
diameter):

qu(ton/m2) = 6.4 N30 N30≤60

qu(ton/m2) = 380 N30>60

A reasonable average of the previous equations yield the following values:

qu(ton/m2) = 6 N30 N30≤75
qu(ton/m2) = 400 N30>75
Relationship Between Ø and Ultimate Stress at Pile Tip (Authors)

The previous relation can be presented as

Ultimate unit end bearing = 4E-10 Ø 7.4493
 RELATIONS BETWEEN END BEARING AND SOIL
PARAMETERS.

Relation between number of blows, relative density and angle (ø)

N (Blows) Relative Density RD% Angle (Ø)

0-4 Very Loose 0-15 27-30

4-10 Loose 15-35 30-32
10-30 Medium 35-65 32-36
30-50 Dense 65-85 36-40
>50 Very Dense >85 >40
Relationship between Unit Weight and Angle of Internal Friction

This relationship is most fitted by the equation:

 = 0.001 Ø2 - 0.0117 Ø + 1.0012
Relationship between the factor of critical depth and angle of internal friction

This relationship can be presented as

Dr = 0.0237 Ø 1.8192
Relationship between the factor Nq and the angle of internal friction

The previous relationship can be demonstrated by the following equation:

Nq = 2E-06 Ø 4.9876

Now, the unit end bearing pressure using the static formula can be re-written
as follows:
Ultimate unit end bearing= (0.001*Ø*Ø-0.0117* Ø + 1.0012)*(0.0237*(Ø)
^1.8192)*D*(0.000002*((Ø)-3)^4.9876)

Note that the Ø value for the Nq term should be considered as Ø (before
drilling) – 3 for cast in place piles.
RESULTS OF CALCULATIONS USING STATIC FORMULA

Ultimate unit End Bearing versus Ø for D=60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 cm (Static
Formula)
The equations representing the previous charts are as follows for the
range of pile diameters (D=60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 cm), respectively:

Ø =15.032 Qe 0.1215
Ø =14.753 Qe 0.1215
Ø =14.515 Qe 0.1215
Ø =14.309 Qe 0.1215
Ø =14.127 Qe 0.1215

Where Qe is the ultimate unit end bearing. These equations can be

generalized for any pile diameter to:

Ø = (-0.0225D + 16.35) Qe 0.1215

 Unit ultimate end bearing of static versus Egyptian Code formula

pile diameter = 60cm and a range of Ø between 20 and 41 degrees

It is clear that the unit end bearing of Static Formula far exceeds the values
based on the Egyptian Code particularly as relative density increases
 Unit ultimate end bearing of Static and Authors formula

pile diameter = 60cm and a range of Ø between 20 and 41 degrees

It is clear that the unit end bearing of Static Formula far exceeds the values
based on the Egyptian Code particularly as relative density increases
 ANALYSIS OF RESULTS

Reduced Versus Initial Angle Ø Based on Egyptian Code formula for large piles:

The previous relationships can be presented by the following equations:

Ør = 0.4733 Ø + 10.663 (for D=60 cm)
Ør = 0.4646 Ø + 10.465 (for D= 70 cm)
Ør = 0.4571 Ø + 10.296 (for D= 80 cm)
Ør = 0.4506 Ø + 10.15 (for D= 90 cm)
Ør = 0.4448 Ø + 10.021 (for D- 100 cm)
Where Ør is the reduced angle and Ø is the initial angle. This equation can be set as:
Ør =(-0.0007D + 0.5149) Ø -0.016D + 11.598 Where D is in cm.
 NOTES

• The reduced angles range from about 22 degrees to about 30 degrees in

general.

• The angles decrease with increase of pile diameter and the reduction of Ø
increases with the increase of initial angle. i.e., with the increase of soil
relative density.

• The reduced angle varies from about 22 to 25 degrees for loose to very
loose soil, between 25.5 and 26.5 degrees for medium dense soil and
between 27 and 29.5 degrees for dense to very dense soils.

• The reduction gets Ør / Ø in the range of 0.85 for initial Ø = 28 degrees and
D = 60 cm to 0.7 for initial Ø = 41 degrees and D= 100 cm. If these angles
are used in the static formula, they would result the same unit end bearing
stresses so long that Dc < pile length.

• It may be thought that these equations are almost similar. In fact, any slight
change in the values of the angle of internal friction results in big change in
pile end bearing capacity due to the wide corresponding change in Nq
value.
Reduced Versus Initial Angle Ø Based on Authors formula
 The equations governing these relations for the different pile diameters are as
follows:
Ør = 0.7016 Ø + 2.5067 (for D-60 cm)
Ør = 0.6885 Ø + 2.4601 (for D= 70 cm)
Ør = 0.6774 Ø + 2.4204 (for D= 80 cm)
Ør = 0.6678 Ø + 2.3861 (for D= 90 cm)
Ør = 0.6593 Ø + 2.3557 (for D- 100 cm)

This equation can be set in general form whatsoever the diameter as follows:
Ør = (-0.0011D + 0.7632) Ø --0.0038D + 2.7266

Illustrations to the drastic reduction of soil shear strength at the pile tip
expressed by tan (Ør)/ tan (Øinitial) based on the exceptional formula in the
Egyptian Code versus the statical formula, are shown as in the following table:
Ø for d= 60 cm Ø D= 70 cm Ø D= 80 cm Ø D= 90 cm Ø D= 100 cm
28 0.843069558 28 0.825466959 28 0.810546 28 0.797701 28 0.744897
31 0.799318109 31 0.782366839 31 0.768011 31 0.755661 31 0.700368
34 0.758824168 34 0.742472413 34 0.728637 34 0.716743 34 0.65919
38 0.7083559 38 0.692753711 38 0.679569 38 0.668247 38 0.608091
41 0.672287145 41 0.657227709 41 0.644514 41 0.633606 41 0.571849
From the previous charts, it can be seen that the reduced shear stress varies
from about 83% of the initial soil shear strength for least diameter and least
angle of internal friction (60 cm and 28 degrees, respectively) to about 57% of
the initial soil shear strength for largest diameter and greatest angle of internal
friction (100 cm and 41 degrees, respectively).

For the case of Authors formulae:

Ø for d=0.6 Ø D=0.7 Ø D=0.8 Ø D=0.9 Ø D=1

28 0.764847106 28 0.749181556 28 0.735889 28 0.724434 28 0.682733
31 0.750269934 31 0.73458599 31 0.721293 31 0.709849 31 0.662476
34 0.735386812 34 0.719667676 34 0.706361 34 0.694918 34 0.64162
38 0.714669101 38 0.698885996 38 0.68555 38 0.6741 38 0.612625
41 0.698199151 41 0.682362208 41 0.669002 41 0.657546 41 0.58983
CONCLUSION

1- The stress-settlement relationship is not assigned for soil relative density. The
effect of depth and pile diameter is not incorporated in Egyptian Code or the
work of some authors.
2- The static formula for pile capacity determination can be used to assess the
capacity of large diameter cast in place bored piles by inserting modification in
the formula. As the end bearing is responsible for the major part of pile
capacity, particularly for denser soils, the correction for end bearing will relay
on reducing the angle of internal friction at pile tip to express the passive
results of soil disturbance and accumulation of bentonite slurry at the bottom of
excavation.
3- The change of angle of internal friction will be reflected on the value of the
bearing capacity factor Nq, the soil unit weight, as well as the critical depth
Dc, all these parameters can be formulated against the angle Ø, where
construction of smooth curves can be obtained
4- The relationship between the angle Ø and stress at pile tip based on the
modified solution of the special case of large diameter piles as given in the
Egyptian Code can be formulated in smooth curve as well. However, a
substitution is available for this assumption, where some authors, i.e., Reese
and Wright (1977), and Reese and O'Neil (1988) based on the work of large
number of large pile diameters derived relationships between ultimate end
bearing resistance for any soil relative density in the form of SPT (N) values.
Comparisons between the assumption developed from the Egyptian Code and
the work of these Authors are quiet reasonable.
5- The ultimate unit end bearing versus angle of internal friction based on the
static formula can be given as follows:
Ø = (-0.0225D + 16.35) Qe 0.1215
6- Comparing the unit end bearing using the static method and the exceptional
Egyptian Code method reveals a clear huge difference of results between the
two methods particularly as the value of angle Ø increases. The difference
becomes even greater for larger diameters. This approves the inadequacy of
the traditional pile load capacity formula to deal with the special cases of large
bored cast in place piles. Same results are obtained for the case of using the
Authors formula.
7-The initial proposed angles versus the reduced angles for the case of
Egyptian Code large pile formula can be given as follows:
Ør =(-0.0007D + 0.5149) Ø -0.016D + 11.598
While based on the work of some authors, the equation showing the
relationship between the Ø angle and unit end bearing pressures can be given
as:
Ør = (-0.0011D + 0.7632) Ø --0.0038D + 2.7266
The reduced angles concluded to allow the static formula to deal with the case
of large piles based on the exceptional Egyptian Code formula range from
about 22 degrees to about 30 degrees in general. The angles decrease with
increase of pile diameter and the reduction increases with the increase of
initially assumed angle. i.e., with the increase of soil relative density. The
reduced angle varies from about 23 to 25 degrees for loose to very loose soil,
between 25.5 and 26.5 degrees for medium dense soil and between 27 and
29.5 degrees for dense to very dense soils.
For the study based on the work of authors, the reduced angles range from
about 21 degrees to about 31 degrees in general. This matches well with
the values based on the Egyptian Code. As for the case of Egyptian Code,
the angles decrease with increase of pile diameter and the reduction
increases with the increase of initially assumed angle. i.e., with the
increase of soil relative density. The reduced angle varies from about 21 to
24 degrees for loose to very loose soil, between 25.0 and 26.5 degrees for
medium dense soil and between 27.5 and 31 degrees for dense to very
dense soils..
8- It can be seen that the reduced shear stress varies from about 83% of the
initial soil shear strength for least diameter and least angle of internal
friction (60 cm and 28 degrees, respectively) to about 57% of the initial soil
shear strength for largest diameter and greatest angle of internal friction
(100 cm and 41 degrees, respectively). For the case of Authors formulae:,
the shear strength ranges from about 76 % to 59% of the initial shear
strength. A result that matches well with the case of the Egyptian Code.