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PreboringDrivenPrecastPiles 2
thread256248848
Higuys,
Iamastructuralengineerwhoisdoingastructuraldesignofprecastdrivenpilesforabridgeabutment.Ihaverundowntheloadsandthegeotechreportmakesthefollow
suggestions.
1.Becausethepilesaredriventorefusal,thecapacityofthepilewillbegovernedbythestructuralcapacity.
2.Undersizedpreboringwillberequiredtofacilitatedrivingthroughastiffstratumofbedrock.
Myquestionsare:
Ifmypilesare500diameter,whatdiametershouldImakethepreboreandwhatshouldIbelookingoutfor?Allhelpwillbegreatlyappreciated.
Repliescontinuebelow
Okay
1.)Allpilesdriventoablowcountaredriventoaterminationcriteria.Thetermrefusalhasmanymeaningstodifferentpeople,butisofteninterpretedasthepointwherethepile
willnotadvancedespiterepeatedpoundingbythehammer.Thusitisnotagoodcriteriafortermination.Abettercriteriaistodeterminewhatsetisrequiredtoacheiverequired
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capacitytimesanappropriatesafetyfactorandwhatsetmightpiledamagebeanticipated.
2.)Iassumewhenyousayyourpilesare500diameter,youmeam500mmor18inch.Thesearelargepilesandcapableofcarryinghighloads.Drivingstresseswillprobably
controldesign.Precastpilesareeasilydamagedbydrivingtorockandafairamountofpilefailuresshouldbeanticipated.Precactpilesarenotagoodchoicefordrivingthroughan
underreamedpiolotholeinbedrock,evenwithpointprotection.
3.)Whynotterminateonthetopoftherock?Ifyouusedahydraulichammerandcastpoints,thatwouldincreasethepotentialforsucess.Notreallysurewhythepreaugeringtoa
greaterdepthinbedrockwouldberequuired.
Hopethishelps
IconcurwithmostofwhatDRC1explains....andwouldswitchfoundationdesign(s)todrilledshafts...muchlesspotentialformisery.
ThanksDRC1andDrumchaser
Thatiscorrect,thepilesare18inchdiameter,Ihavethemstressedto9MPaor1300psiandIamproviding24mmdiameterheadbars(1"diameter).
HowdoIcalaculatethestressestransferredthroughthispilesectionbydrivingsoIcandesigntheheadbarsfordriving.
asixth,
Whyareyoudoingthis?Amorenormalapproachistoprovidetherequiredcapacitytothepilingcontractorandlethimdecidehowtoaccomplishit,pursuanttoyourreviewof
course.
It'sagovernmentjobandtheyareaskedustodesigntheprecstprestressedpiles(PSC).
Thereisnopointindesigningsomethingthepilingcontractorsarenotsetuptoaccomplish.Iwouldconsultwithoneofthereputablepilingcontractorsbeforeyoufinalisethe
design.
Iwouldneverdesignprecastconcretepilestobearonbedrock,ashasbeennotedthepotentialfordamagetothepilesisveryhigh.Also,itislikelythatthebedrockelevationwill
varyacrossthesite.Howdoyouplantoaccomodatethisvariationwithprecastpiles?
Betterchoiceswouldbeaugercastpiles,Hpiles,ordrilledshafts(piers).Justbecause"thegovernement"wantssomethingdoesnotmeanthatitispractial.Youcanbetthatyou
willbeblamedduringconstructionifwhatYOUdesignedcannotbeconstructed.
asixth
WehavemovedawayfromPCCPilesduetotheextraexpenses/problemsthatcanoftenoccur.Thisisnottosaytheyarenotthepreferredfoundationoptionfortherestofthe
world.
Areyourpilestobedrivenonabatter?
....itismyopinion
(NooffensetothePCCPilingfolkshere)conc.pilesareveryproblematicascomparedtodrilledshafts.
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Requirementsareusually:
1)Designedbearingachieved.
2)PileTipelevationmet.
3)Withinspecifiedlocationtolerances.(top&btm.of
pile)
Astheapparentdesignengr.youmayormaynotbeinvolvedinthedrivingprocess,whichaccordingtothedataprovidedwillbetrickyatbest.
"Becausethepilesaredriventorefusal"....itismyexperienceoncerefusalhasbeenmet(nomoredownwardmovement)thepilehasbeenoverstressed.
Thisisnotgood.
Ifyouarelockedinonthisdesign....mostS.T.A.'shavespecificationsforpilotholesinrelationtopilesize,aswellasotherreqt'sthatmayhelpyou.CheckyourlocalDOT
website(s).
goodluck
I'dchangetoclosedendsteeltubes.It'sbeenindicatedthatthegovernmentagencywantsprecastconcpilesbutasmosthereseemtobe"against"them,I'dsayyouoweitto
yourintegritytopointoutthatotherpiletypes,driventorefusal"on"bedrockwouldbemoreappropriateandlesssusceptibletodamageduetooverdriving.
"Stiffstratumofbedrock"canmeandifferentthingstodifferentpeople.Ifitishighlyweathered,theprecastpilesmayworkjustfine.Istillthinkyouneedtogetapilingcontractor
talkingtothegeotechbeforethedecisionismade.
WhereIam,precastpilesareusuallyeithersquareoroctagonal.Roundpilesmaybecommonelsewhere,butagain,checkwiththepilingcontractors.
hokie,
Ipracticeinthesamecitythatyoudo.ThepilesIhaveareactuallyoctangonal,Iwasjustbeingmoregeneralinsayingtheywhereround.
asixth,
Ithoughtso,butyouthrewmewiththeroundpiles.Alotoftherockwehavehereishighlyweatheredenoughtofacilitatedrivingprecastpiles.Idon'tworkinroads/bridges,but
seealotoftheoctagonalpilesdrivenwithconicalsteeldrivingheads.MainRoadsoftenusestheminbridgesfortheabovegroundcolumnaswell.Theyjustdrivetheoctagonal
precasttothespecifieddepthorcriteria,thencutoffthetopandcastintoaheaderbeam.
Iftherockishard,thismaynotbethebestsolution.YoumightwanttotalktoWagstaffPilingorPilingContractorsforadvice.
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SowhichpartoftheBrisbaneRiverisyourproject?IcurrentlydoingasmallpilejobinNewstead,herewearelookingatcompositepile,Thestratumissoftenoughthatwecan
driveintothe"rockbed"torefusalwithoutpreboring,about10mwitha375SQ.Aresidentialprojectnextdoor,haddrivenpileaswell,bethereforabout4years,nopreboring.
HoweverinsayingthatIbelievetheyaregoingtodrilledpilesontheBCECSouthbankextensionbecauseweatheredandhighlyvariablenaturethe"rockbed".Notinvolveddirectly
withthisproject,sowouldnotsaymysourceisquotable.
Whenindoubt,justtakethenextsmallstep.
ToansweryourquestionaboutPilestress,thisistypicallyderivedfromawaveequationanalysisfortypicalhammersystemsthatmightbeused.PCIhasstandardpiledesigns.
Checkwiththemfordesigndetails.IwouldasotherhavesaidadvocateforHPileorclosedpipe.Itiseconomicalandmoreeffectivethanprecast.Alsocaneasilyadjusttovarrying
heightsofrock.Butevenwithsteelpiles,reasonabledrivingcriteriashouldbeusedtopreventdamage.
Myapologiesfornotreplyingsooner,thankstoeveryonefortheircontribution.ThebridgeisintheGulfofCarpentaria,MainRoadsareimprovingtheinfrastructurebecause
seasonalfloodingoftenclosesthehighwayswhichstopsfreightfromservicingtheNorthernTerritory.
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