PRESENTING
Latest Trends in Design and Execution
of Driven Pile Foundations
James A. Morrison, P.E.
Past President, Deep Foundations Institute
Engineering Manager,
Kiewit Infrastructure Group
Foundation Trends in the world today
(From Bottiau 2012)
Worldwide Piling Trends
(From Bottiau 2012)
AGENDA
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Design Methods
Equipment
Monitoring
Project Management
Summary
DESIGN Key Steps
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Geotechnical input
Ultimate capacity
Installation resistance
Appropriate equipment
Prove capacity
Common Design References
North American Approach
FHWA (LS)
NCHRP(TRB) (LRFD)
Corps of Engineers (ASCE) (LS)
European Approach
Eurocode 7 (LRFD)
Design Methodology
Limit State or LRFD?
Resistance Factors for Design (LRFD)
Lesson: Big Reward for good data and
field proof testing
Common Problems and Issues
Poor quality geotechnical input
Confused specifications ultimate vs.
working load
Understanding set-up phenomenon
Scale factors with large diameter and deep
piles
Capacity loss with vibratory installation
Case Study - New Natomas Pump Station
Example SPT calibration
Example Sampler Size Correction
Blows/ft
19x0.5 =
3 California
Sampler
23x0.5 =12
37x0.5 =19
2Standard
Penetration
Test
15
31x0.5 =16
3California
Sampler
41x0.5 =21
SPT Hammer Energy Correction
N60 = C NAutohammer
C = Energy
(Autohammer)
/ Energy
(SPT)
The efficiency of a CME Autohammer is about 85 to 95%
compared to the Rope-and-Cathead efficiency of 60%.
C = 0.85/0.6
to
0.95/0.6
C = 1.42
to
1.58
C ~ 1.5
Lesson
SPT data needs to be calibrated to
equivalent N60 in order to use
standard design formulas
Case Study - New Orleans 2005
Case Study New Orleans, LA
Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW)
West Closure Complex Pump Station
New Orleans, Louisiana
Case Study - Pitt River Bridge, Vancouver, BC
Vibratory hammer Installation through silty clay
deposits reduced the pile capacity at initial drive by a
factor of about 4, and the subsequent rate of set up
was only about half of that for piles driven with an
impact hammer.
Driven Pile Design Summary
Design is not finished until piles are installed
and proven
Design input parameters require experience
and judgment
Local calibration required
10
Current Developments in Equipment
Mobility
Hammer technology
Environmental improvements
Pile driving monitoring equipment
Mobility
11
Cranes
Crawler
Truck mounted
Barge mounted
All in one rigs
Cranes
12
Leads and Spotters
Fixed Box Leads
Traveling Leads
Swinging Leads
Off Shore Leads
Triple 9
Leads
Boom head/
top sheaves
Pile Line
Boom tip
Hammer
line (main)
Boom insert
Boom
Pendants
Butt Cab
Gantry
Hammer
Back hitch
Kicker or
spotter
Counterweight
s
Crawler
Manitowoc 999 Crawler Crane with Ape Leads & D80
Hammer
13
Leads and Spotters
Forklifts
14
Areal work platforms
New Developments in Hammer Technology
Diesel Hammers
Hydraulic starting
Remote throttle (stroke)
control
Free-standing operation
Direct-drive options
Near disappearance of
double-acting diesels
Air Hammers
Hydraulic Hammers
General
Accelerated-ram hammers
Direct drive options
Free-standing options
On-board performance monitoring
Engine regulations meeting Tier II
and Tier III emissions standards
Small air hammer
Direct drive options
Less double-acting air
hammers
Free-standing operation
(from Justason 2012)
15
New Developments in Hammer Technology
Diesel Hammers
Hydraulic starting
Remote throttle (stroke) control
Free-standing operation
Direct-drive options
Clean deisel
(from Justason 2012)
New Developments in Hammer Technology
Hydraulic Hammers
Accelerated-ram hammers
Direct drive options
Free-standing options
(from Justason 2012)
16
New Developments in Hammer Technology
Air Hammers
Small air hammer
Direct-drive options
Free standing operation
(from Justason 2012)
Resonance Hammer technology
High frequency vibration: 80-150 Hz
(4800 to 9000 VPM)
Conventional vibro 900-1200 VPM
Conventional Variable Moment high
frequency = 3000 VPM
17
Resonance
Resonance = high accelerations:
(100 to 200 g) similar to impacts
Typical amplitude
(3 to 6 mm) diameter dependent
18
Advances in QA/QC for Driven Piles
Automated data collection systems
Improved dynamic monitoring methods
Evaluation of hammer impact energy
Internet technology remote monitoring
Installation QA/QC
SaximeterTM
Acoustic measurement
Automated blow-counts
blow-rate/energy
E-SaximeterTM
addition of impact
(kinetic) energy
monitoring
(from Justason 2012)
19
Pile Driving Monitor (PDM)
(from Justason 2012)
Pile Driving Monitor (PDM)
(from Justason 2012)
20
Max Potential Energy (for diesel hammers)
Actual
Potential
Energy
mgh
Kinetic Energy
mv2
Transferred
Energy
(PDA)
(from Justason 2012)
Need: a standard rating for hammer efficiency
Kinetic energy vs. transferred energy
Ambiguous or erroneous specifications leading to
improper hammer selection
Different energy transfer efficiency - hydraulic vs
diesel hammers
21
Recent advances in dynamic monitoring
Wireless PDA Testing
Remote PDA Testing
Smart transducers
Embedded transducers
Wireless PDA testing
Eliminates cables
Improves safety.
(from Justason 2012)
22
EmbeddedDataCollector
(wirelesssensor)
Smart Structures System
SmartPile Gateway
(unmanneddatacollection)
SmartPile Review
(review&processsensordata)
Internet
Wireless
Internet
SmartPile PortalOnline
InformationSystem
Data storage & retrieval.
Post-processing &
reporting.
SmartPile Workstation
(manneddatacollection)
Condition-based
monitoring.
Commercial
Users
Governmental
Users
Other
Alarms and alerting.
Asset management.
What could possibly go wrong?
23
What could possibly go wrong?
What could possibly go wrong?
24
Project Management - What could go wrong ?
1. Bad Data
2. Design error
3. Changed conditions
4. Build it wrong
5. Final cost exceeds budget
6. Product does not work
7. Third party damage
North American Common Law.
The party in the best
position to manage the risk
owns it.
25
Who can best manage the risk?
Designer
Design error
Contractor
Owner
Changed conditions
Build it wrong
Final cost exceeds
budget
Product does not work
X
X
Third party damage
Best vehicle for managing risk
Insurance Contract
Design error
Changed conditions
Quality
Control
X
X
Build it wrong
Final cost exceeds budget
X
X
Product does not work
Third party damage
26
CONCLUSION - Putting the Pieces Together
1. Pile design requires calibration
2. Equipment improvements = reliability,
efficiency, production
3. Monitoring = better quality
4. Sound risk management
DFI Purpose
Advancing the deep foundations
industry through collaboration of
engineers, contractors, manufacturers
and educators.
General
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