CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1

Introduction

Foundation

are

essential

to

transfer

the

loads

coming

from

the

superstructures such as building, bridge, dams, highways, walls, tunnels,

tower and for that matter every engineering structures (Kameswara Rao,
2011). The higher and bigger of the load that transfer to ground, the
deeper and bigger of the foundation to support.
Generally, foundation may be characterized into two category which
are shallow foundation and deep foundation. Shallow foundation are
located just below the lowest part of the superstructures they support;
deep foundation extend considerably down into the earth. In the case of
shallow foundation, the mean of support is usually either a footing, which
is often simply an enlargement of the base of the column or wall that is
supports, or mat or raft foundation, in which a number of columns are
supported by single slab (Liu and Evett 2005).
Deep foundation are mostly similar compare to shallow foundations,
the only difference is the deep foundation are embedded deeper to the

ground. According to Kameswara Rao (2011), if the

Df /B 1, the

foundation are called deep foundation, where

Df

is the depth of the

foundation and B is the width of the foundation. Principally, deep

foundations to be chosen when the upper the upper layer of ground is

encountered the upper layer of ground is encountered as week soil and

the vertical loads must transfer to deeper firm of soil.

Most typical

examples of deep foundations are piles, drilled piers or caissons, and pile
raft systems.
In

inadequate

strength

subsurface

soil,

pile

foundation

are

frequently been used to transmit loads from superstructure to deeper

strata. In the industry, piles are usually vertical member which are made
from steel, reinforce concrete, timber and composite. In generally piles
can be classify into two category which are friction pile and end bearing
pile. If the load is transmitted to the soil through skin friction between the
surface of the pile and soil, the pile is called a friction pile. If the load is
transmitted to the soil through the lower tip, the pile is called an endbearing pile. The factors will influence the decision of selecting the pile
type are:

The
The
The
The

stratum.
The availability of materials for piles.
The number of piles required.
The comparative in- place cost.
The durability required
The depth and kind of water, if any above the ground into

type, size, and weight of the structure to be supported

physical properties of the soil stratum at site
depth to a stratum capable of supporting the piles.
variations across the site in the depth to supporting

which the piles will be driven

In some cases, structures like transmission towers, mooring systems
for ocean surface or submerged platforms, tall chimneys, jetty structures
and underground tank transmit not only heavy compressive loads, but are
also subjected to considerable amount of uplift forces (Vanitha et al 2006).
In such structures, the induced overturning moments are transferred to

the piles supporting the structures in the form of compression in some

piles and pull out on the others. Moreover, uplift forces may exerted on
piles due to swelling of the surrounding soil

1.2

Definition

Pile is long and slender structural member to be embedded under the

ground to certain depth to carry heavy vertical load or in some situations
to improve the soil condition (Wong 2014). In construction industry, pile
may made from timber, concrete and steel. But for some special cases,
combinations of these materials can possible to form a composite pile.
There are many type construction methods of pile foundations. One
of common been used in industry is driven piles. Driven piles can be made
from concrete, steel or timber. Piles are available in several standard size
and lengths. The selection of piles mainly is based on the soil properties
and site conditions. These piles are prefabricated before it been placing at
the construction site. Normally the driven piles are driven by using pile
hammer
Cast-in-situ or bored piles is a pile that constructed by drilling holes
in the ground to the required depth and the filing the hole with concrete.
Cast-in-situ piles are straight bored piles or with one or more bulbs at
intervals are casted. The piles with one or more bulbs are called as underreamed piles. End bearing cum friction piles carry vertical compressive
loads partly by means of resistance offered by the hard stratum at the tip
of the pile and partly by the friction developed between the pile shaft and
soil. Friction piles carry the major part of loads only by means of friction
developed between pile shaft and soil; and pure End bearing piles only by

means of bearing resistance at the tip of the pile. In both the above cases
lateral loads are carried by the lateral resistance offered by the
surrounding soil.
While piles are most commonly used to carry compressive loading,
there are a number of situations where the piles may use to tensile load,
uplift force (pull out). The piles is under tension when it used as part of pile
group supporting a structure to which horizontal or moment loading is
applied. According to Knappett and Craig (2012), when loaded in tension it
is assumed that the pile resistance is due to shaft friction alone, the base
being lifted away from the soil beneath.
Practically, to resist uplift forces, the ultimate uplift capacity of piles
are depend to the shaft resistance devoted between the pile and soil.
Ultimate uplift capacity (Qu) is the maximum uplift force that a pile can
resist before soil shear failures. The embedment depth of a pile in to soil
(L) and diameter or width of pile ( d ) ratios, also one of the parameter
will affect ultimate uplift capacity of piles (Vanitha et al 2006). The skin
friction (Qf) is the maximum friction resistance generated on the shaft pile.
Figure 1.1 illustrated the key terms that used in pile foundation

Figure 1.1 Pile Terminology (Source: Budhu, 2007)

Most previous studies were directed toward the shaft capacity of
piles subjected to axial compressive load, while little research was
conducted on pile response under uplift forces. Therefore, studying the
behavior of piles under uplift forces as well as the parameters affecting the
uplift capacity of piles is importance in geotechnical engineering (Gaaver
2012).

1.3

Research Background