Estimation of bored pile capacity and settlement in soft soils

Abstract

Although the technologies of pile construction are improving, the problems of load capacity and settlements determination are still present, where estimation methods are mostly a combination of theory and empiricism. This paper analyzes the bearing capacity and settlement of bored piles, as the most frequently used type of piles in local practice. Empirical methods based on geotechnical soil parameters for capacity estimation, introduce some simplifications which lead to neglecting certain elements of a complex pile-soil interaction. On the other hand, the results of pile field testing methods are a direct summary consequence of the overall complex conditions on pile-soil contact.