Geomaterial classification criteria for design and construction of driven steel H-piles

Methodologies are proposed to develop criteria for classifying geomaterials into soils, intermediate geomaterials (IGMs), and hard rocks to achieve efficient driven pile designs. IGMs were categorized into IGM-soils and IGM-rocks to reduce the uncertainties in pile resistance estimations associated with properties ranging from soils to rocks. A boundary between soils and IGM-soils was established based upon the performance of two static analysis methods measured in terms of the coefficients of variation between measured and estimated shaft resistances. A boundary between IGM-rocks and hard rocks was established by limiting the geotechnical resistance in IGM-rocks to the compressive strength of a steel pile. Finally, a geomaterial classification flowchart and sample design charts are proposed to facilitate the classification of geomaterials specifically for the design and construction of driven steel H-piles. The proposed framework can be adapted for other driven pile types.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author