Use of elastic shortening line to interpret static load• settlement data of piles

Accurate interpretation of the Load-settlement data obtained by static or dynamic load testing of piles is very important to understand the load carrying mechanism of the pile. Even though dynamic load test results provide more information regarding the behavior and condition of the pile, only the load-settlement curve is obtained from the static load testing of piles. Therefore, developing of tools to interpret load-settlement data obtained from static load testing of piles is very vital. In developing such tools, the shape of the load-settlement curve can be made use of. Thilakasiri (2007a) used a numerical procedure to simulate the static load - settlement curve. A new methodology, using the elastic shortening line of a pile, is introduced in this paper to get an understanding of the behavior of the pile