Design method reliability assessment from an extended database of axial load tests on piles driven in sand

Accurate axial capacity remains a challenging task for piles driven in sands. Rigorous database studies have become key tools for assessing the efficacy of design methods. This paper employs the 117 high quality entries in the recently developed ZJU-ICL database to check for potential biases between nine prediction procedures, considering a range of factors. The analysis highlights the critical importance of addressing age after driving, open and closed ends, tension versus compression and concrete compared to steel. It also shows the hierarchy of reliability parameters associated with the alternative approaches. The â fullâ ICP approach and UWA approaches are found to have significant advantages in eliminating potential biases. It is also argued that design Load and Resistance or Safety Factors should be varied to match the design and site investigation methods applied, as well as the loading uncertainty and degree of load cycling, which often varies between applications. Noting that predictions for base capacities Qb are inherently less reliable than for shaft QS, especially in rapidly varying ground profiles, credible lower bound parameters qc are recommended for Qb assessment. It is also recommended that the potential effects of cycling should be addressed carefully in cases that involve substantial environmental loading.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