THE ULTIMATE RESISTANCE OF RIGID PILES AGAINST TRANSVERSAL FOCRES by J. Brinch Hansen, Professor, dr. techn., DGI. 1. Introduction As shown in fig. 1 we consider a vertical pile with a ‘cross section BX L and a driving depth D,,. It is subjected to a horizontal force H_ (perpendicular to the sides with width B) acting at a height A above the ‘ground surface. The ground surface may be loaded with a surcharge P (corresponding f. inst. to the effective weight of a H ce “ae Fig. 1. Sketch of pile, mud layer). The soil proper has 2 cohesion c and a friction angle y. The effective unit weight is 7 above the ground water table and 7’ below. At an arbitrary depth D below the ground surface the effective overburden pressure is (see fig. 1) q=pt+7De+7'Dy a) We assume now that the pile is made so strong that no yield hinge can develop in it, In the state of failure it can therefore ~ elastic deformations being disregarded in this connection — be assumed to rotate as a rigid body about a point at a depth D, below the ground surface. Above the rotation centre passive earth pressures will act on the right side of the pile and active on the left. Below the rotation centre the situation is reversed. For the resultant (passive minus active) pressure pet unit front area of the pile at the depth D we can write the general expression: cP = q KP ick? @) The corresponding pressure per unit length of the pile in fig. 1 is Be®. For a cross section of another shape an “equivalent” width B must be estimated ot — better ~ fixed by means of comparative model tests. In the case of a group of parallel piles (fig. 2) B is to be interpreted as the width of the group perpendi- cular to the direction of the force H. ofo Pg Fig. 2. Group of parallel pits,2. Pressure at ground surface For D = 0 we must have ordinary passive and ac- tive earth pressures on the pile, corresponding to the usual plane case: e =qK5+cK? @) For K3 we insert here the difference between the passive and active coefficients, corresponding to a rough wall which is being translated horizontally [1, 2,3): Kg = e(§ +9) 89 cosy tan (45° + 4p) = G2-9) te cos p tan (45°—1 9) oy As regards K? we disregard — on the safe side — the corresponding active pressure-term, because it might lead to negative earth pressures on the active side of the pile. For the passive pressure-term alone we get: (eld * +9) 80¥cosgtan (45°43) t]cot y (5) Curves for K? and Kz are indicated in fig. 3. a38 x : wu suo oss 38 8588 SER SE FE 2 ne 10 - oe aaa Fig. 3. Earth pressure coefficients at ground surface (0) and at sreath depth (22), 3. Pressure at moderate depth In order to find the increase of the earth pressure with depth (for reasonably small depths) we consider the simplest possible case, viz. the passive Rankine state (fig. 4). Fig. 4, Borth wedge in the Kankine case We assume hete that the earth wedge is bounded by two vertical planes (distance B), and that in these 6 planes shearing forces develop, corresponding to a nor- mal pressure equal to the earth pressure at rest (4K, ). The shearing stress at a depth D below the surface will then be: n= ¢ 4 (7D +p) Ke tang 6) We consider now a strip of earth with a width B and a height dD, bounded by two failure planes (fig. 4). We assume that the direction of the failure planes is the same as in the plane case; this is sufficient- ly correct for reasonably small depths. Projecting all acting forces on a plane making the angle » with the failure plane we get then an equation, which can be brought on the following form: 2Ko sing e=pant(4stie) [+e meas ete . fy 4D, Kosing +yDtant (45° +49) «(143 seesee tay) + 2ctan (45° + 1g) -[14+P-2sin(4s°-+49)] ‘This equation has been developed for a smooth wall, but as an approximation we shall use the factors in thebrackets for our rough wall too, and apply them to the resultant (passive minus active) pressures. Moreover, as the surface load p is usually small, we shall for the sake of simplicity ~ and on the safe side — use the factor for p instead of the p-factor. Thus we get: of, 4D, Kosing eH aK + 5 oases Tn) Feke[1 +B 2sin(45°+ 49)] (8) 4. Pressure at great depth At great depths the rupture-lines will not go up to the ground surface any more, but will instead go horizontally around the pile {2, 3, 4]. We have then again a plane case of failure, but the planes are now horizontal. In order to calculate the corresponding passive pres sure on the pile we shall consider the somewhat similar case of a deep strip foundation. In a recent paper {5] the author has proposed the following formulas for this case: b= LyBNydy+ (c+qung) Ned +q (9) bs 06 4. = 14038: [5 + 87 (10) Tf these formulas shall be applied to the passive pressure on our pile at great depths, the following changes must be made. The first and the last term in (9) are left out, and the effective vertical pressure (q) 5. Pressure at We need now two general formulas for the con stants KP and KP to he inserted in equation (2) in eee 22 eo |K, cr gg [Ka ” 814 % x0 353 6 Fs "7 0 8 391 8 5 88 4 3 350 2 * 133 2 10 a8 06 Di” 6 ate EA : SB ° 5 0 15 20 Fig. 5. Earth pressure coefficient for overburden pressure. in the second term is substituted by the horizontal pres- sure at rest (qK, ). Finally, in (10) we can put D = x Thus we get: e* = (¢-4 qKetany) Neds 4.09 tant g ki +cKz ay) at = 1.38 (2) N, js the usual bearing capacity factor, for which the following formula is valid [2, 3, 5} Ne = [e™ #94 tan? (45° +4 y)-1]Jcoty (13) For K, the following formula has been proposed [6] Ky 1 -sing (14) The constants KE and K¥ can now be calculated: kK (15) Kr K, tang = N.d®K, tang (16) Curves for KE and Ky are indicated in fig. 3. arbitrary depth order to give us the pressure e® at an arbitrary depth D. 400 son pears 200 160 po 272 tao ite we 6 8 ou i 2 ase ' us ie oe " 2 8 tae 4 i Fis. 6 Earth pressure cocficient for cohesionFor D— 0 we must require that KD Ke, and for D— » that KD K*. Also, for moderate depths, the increase of the constants with depth should be expressed by the brackets in equation (8). The simplest empirical formulas, which fullfil all the above re- quirements, are the following: (17) co) K2+K0-a KP a? ag) 1a: = ge ge 28in (5° +49) (20) In fig. 5 and 6 are given curves for KP and KP re- spectively as functions of ¢ and D ; B. These curves, together. with the simple formula (2), enable a direct and quick determination of the horizontal pressures on the lle ‘The set ashe aroma (eight) cormpond toD=«, 6. Calculation of a pile Usually the height A of the force H above ground level will be given. If the driving depth D,, is also given, the two unknown quantities are the depth D, of the rotation centre and the ultimate value of the force H. They are determined by means of the two equili- brium conditions (horizontal projection and moment equation). First, D, is fixed by trial in such a way, that the two pressure afeas will give equal moments about the line of the force H. Then, this force is found as the difference between the two pressure arcas (tig. 7). ‘When the pile should be designed to resist a given force H, the unknown quantities are the driving depth Dg, and the depth D, of the rotation centre. B must be estimated in advance, The necessary safety can be introduced in the design cither by multiplying the force H by a “total” safety factor F, or by applying “partial” coefficients of safety to H, g and c [2, 3, 7, 8]. In the latter case the calculation is made with the “nominal” quantities: H, =H fy=H- 1.5 (21) _ tang _ tang tangy = EE = SY (22) (23) The calculation now proceeds in the following way. First, the depth Do, at which the transversal force is zero, i.e. where the maximum moment occurs, is de- termined by the condition that the pressure arca above this point should be equal to Hy. The moment M, at this point is then calculated, and for this the cross section of the pile should be designed with nominal stresses in the material. Finally, the driving depth and the rotation centre are fixed ~ by trial — in such a way, that the two additional pressure areas are numerically equal and give a moment equal to M, If we have layered earth with different values of y. © and @ in the different layers, q is always found from (1), but in each layer the pertaining values of and y are used for the calculation of the pressures in this layer. 8 ‘When the effective shear strength parameters ¢ and are used in the calculation, this corresponds to the long-term resistance. For the determination of the short-term resistance, which will develop under im- pact forces, the undrained ters = 0° and ¢ C.must be used in fully saturated layers of clay or silt. In sand layers the excess pore pressures dissipate usu- ally so quickly, that — even for impact forces — only the ordinary (long-term) parameters should be con- sidered [2, 3, 9]. Fig. 7. Earth pressure diagram for pile.7. Example ‘We shall here consider the following example of a pile in gravel (fig. 8), which has been treated pre- viously by H. Blum [10]: A=5.0m B=13m D,, = 5.4m y= Loum — y= 35° c=0 For y = 35” we find by means of fig. 5 the follow ing results at 6 equally spaced points of the driving depth: D © 108 216 3.24 432 5.40 D:B 0 (083 1.66 2.49 332 415 x 70.86 99 112 123 133 yDBK, 0 120 28 47 69 93, The corresponding pressure diagram is shown in fig. 8. We try first the lowest fifth point as a possible rotation centre. The moment equation about the force line gives then: AM = 12° 1.08 - 6.08 + 28 1.08 - 7.16 47° 1.08: 8.24 + 690.54: 8.96 ~ 690.54 + 9.68 930.54 10.0 79 + 217 + 418 + 334-361 ~ 504 1048 — 865 = 183 tm The rotation centre should then be raised about: aye IB bh = 5-45 939 = O14 At this point we find D = 4.18 m, D: B= 3.22, K, = 12.2 and y’ DBK, = 66 t/m?. Consequently, a more accurate value of Anis: 183 2.67.5: 9.25 The ultimate value of the force H is then: H = 12-108 + 28- 1.08 + 47° 1.08 = 930.54 ~2+ 67.5 0.147 13.0 + 30.2 + 50.8 ~50.2~ 19.8 = 24.08 Ah = = 0.147 m For comparison it can be mentioned that Blum finds Fig. 8, Example of pile calculation. H = 27 tin this case. References [1]. J. Brinch Hansen: Earth pressure calculation. Teknisk Forlag, Copenhagen 1953. [2]. H. Lundgren and J. Brinch Hansen: Geoteknik. Teknisk Forlag, Copeahagen 1958, [3]. J. Brinch Hansen and H. Lundgren: Hauptprobleme der Bodenmechanik. Springer-Verlag, Berlin 1960. [4 J. Brinch Hansen: The stabilizing effect of piles in clay. CN-Post No. 3, Nov. 1948. 5}. J. Brinch Hansen: A general formula for bearing capacity. Ingenivren, International Edi tion, June 1961 and Geoteknisk Institut, Bulletin No. 11, Copenhagen 1961 [6]. A.W. Bishop: Test requirements for measuring the coefficient of earth pressure at rest, Proc Conf. Earth Pressures, Vol. 1, Brussels 1958 17]. J. Brinch Hansen: Brudstadieberegning og partalsikkerheder i geoteknikken, Ingeniaten, 11-5 1956 and Geoteknisk Institut, Bulletin No. 1, Copenhagen 1956, 18]. J. Brinch Hansen: Definition und Grosse des Sicherheitsgrades im Erd- und Grundbau. Bau- enieur 1959, Heft 3 [9]. J. Brinch Hansen: Om jordatternes forskydningsstyrke. Korttids- og langtidsstabilitet. Inge- nioren, 15-6-1958 and Geoteknisk Institut, Bulletin No. 3, Copenhagen 1958. [10]. 1H. Blum: Wirtschaftliche Dalbenformen und deren Berechnung. Bautechnik 1932, Heft 5,