Axial Load Capacity of Piles in Sand

The axial load capacity of individual piles in cohesionless soils can be estimated at design time using a variety of methods. Because of the difficulties in modeling the process of pile driving, set-up, and loading of piles, useful methods are based on case histories a load tests. Perhaps the most common approach in current use is to specify a soil/pile friction angle, an earth pressure coefficient, a tip bearing capacity factor, and appropriate limits on side shear and end bearing. The various parameters may be made functions of soil classification, relative density, depth, or whatever other variables the investigator thinks are important. In this paper, we compare several methods of analysis that have been in wide use, as well as a method based on continuous functions and a newer method developed by Jardine and coworkers, with measured capacities for untapered piles in tension and compression, in cohesion less soils, and try to draw conclusions about the relative merits of the methods