Existing ground surface

2m
Sand
𝛾𝑑𝑟𝑦 = 14 𝑘𝑁/𝑚3

4m
Sand 𝛾𝑠𝑎𝑡 = 16 𝑘𝑁/𝑚3
Water table
𝑐 = 0 𝑘𝑃𝑎
∅ = 300

Soft clay
𝛾𝑑𝑟𝑦 = 15 𝑘𝑁/𝑚3
3m Soft clay 𝛾𝑠𝑎𝑡 = 17 𝑘𝑁/𝑚3
𝑐 = 40 𝑘𝑃𝑎
∅ = 00

Dense Sand
𝛾𝑑𝑟𝑦 = 16 𝑘𝑁/𝑚3
𝛾𝑠𝑎𝑡 = 18 𝑘𝑁/𝑚3
𝑐 = 0 𝑘𝑃𝑎
∅ = 350
10 m

Dense sand

Figure 1: Soil profile at the proposed site

The calculation is done for a pile of 12 m length and 0.5 m diameter

Divide the soil layer as follows:

Sub-layer 1: Top 2 m of sand (above water table)
Sub-layer 2: Sand (2 m – 4m) below water table
Sub-layer 3: Clay (4 m – 7m)
Sub-layer 4: Dense sand (7 m – 12) m

Skin friction in sub-layer 1

Q s1 = fs As = [K s σ′v tan(δ)] × As
KS
= 0.7 → K S = 0.7 × K 0 = 0.7 × [1 − sin(∅)] = 0.7 × [1 − sin(300 )] = 0.35
K0
δ
= 0.6 → δ = 0.6 × ∅0 = 0.6 × 300 = 180
∅
σ′v = 1.0 × 14 = 14. kPa [the effective stress changes throughout the depth. For this
sublayer (0-2m), the effective stress is calculated at the middle of the sublayer to find average
unit skin friction resistance for the sand layer (0-2m)]
As = π × 0.5 × 2.0 = 3.14 m2
Q s1 = fs As = [K s σ′v tan(δ)] × As
= 𝟎. 𝟑𝟓 × 𝟏𝟒 × 𝐭𝐚𝐧(𝟏𝟖𝟎 ) × 𝟑. 𝟏𝟒 = 𝟒. 𝟗𝟗 𝒌𝑵

Skin friction in sub-layer 2 (2m – 4m – Sand below water table)

Q s2 = fs As = [K s σ′v tan(δ)] × As
KS
= 0.7 → K S = 0.7 × K 0 = 0.7 × [1 − sin(∅)] = 0.7 × [1 − sin(300 )] = 0.35
K0
δ
= 0.6 → δ = 0.6 × ∅0 = 0.6 × 300 = 180
∅
σ′v = 2 × 14 + 1 × 16 − 1 × 10 = 34 kPa [the effective stress changes throughout the
depth. For this sublayer (2m -4m), the effective stress is calculated at the middle of the
sublayer at 3 m depth to find average unit skin friction resistance for the sand layer (2 m -4m)]
As = π × 0.5 × 2.0 = 3.14 m2
Q s2 = fs As = [K s σ′v tan(δ)] × As
= 𝟎. 𝟑𝟓 × 𝟑𝟒 × 𝒕𝒂𝒏(𝟏𝟖𝟎 ) × 𝟑. 𝟏𝟒 = 𝟏𝟐. 𝟏𝟒 𝒌𝑵
Skin friction in sub-layer 3 (4m – 7m – clay layer)

𝐐𝐬𝟑 = 𝐜𝐚 × 𝐀𝐬 = [𝛂𝐂𝐮 ] × 𝛑𝐃𝐋 = [𝟎. 𝟒𝟓 × 𝟒𝟎] × 𝛑 × 𝟎. 𝟓 × 𝟑 = 𝟖𝟒. 𝟕𝟖 𝐤𝐍

Skin friction in sub-layer 4 (7m – 12m – Dense sand below water table)
Q s4 = fs As = [K s σ′v tan(δ)] × As
KS
= 0.7 → K S = 0.7 × K 0 = 0.7 × [1 − sin(35)] = 0.7 × [1 − sin(350 )] = 0.3
K0
δ
= 0.6 → δ = 0.6 × ∅0 = 0.6 × 350 = 210
∅
σ′v = 2 × 14 + 2 × 16 + 3 × 17 + 2.5 × 18 − 7.5 × 10 = 81 kPa [the effective stress
changes throughout the depth. For this sublayer (7m -12m), the effective stress is calculated
at the middle of the sublayer at 9.5 m depth to find average unit skin friction resistance for the
sand layer (7 m -12m)]
As = π × 0.5 × 5.0 = 7.85 m2
Q s4 = fs As = [K s σ′v tan(δ)] × As
= 𝟎. 𝟑 × 𝟖𝟏 × 𝐭𝐚𝐧(𝟐𝟏𝟎 ) × 𝟕. 𝟖𝟓 = 𝟕𝟑. 𝟐𝟐 𝐤𝐍

𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐛 − 𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝟒 𝐚𝐭 𝟏𝟐 𝐦 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐡

Q b = qb × Ab = σ′v (Nq − 1) × Ab
σ′V = [{(2 x 14) + (2 × 16) + (3 x 17) + (5 x 18)} − (10 x 10)] = 101 kPa
D 12
For = = 24 and ∅ = 350 , the bearirng capacity factor Nq = 55 (from figure)
B 0.5
(Please check your lecture slides on pile foundation design for the figure from which Nq has
been determined)
𝟎.𝟓𝟐
𝐐𝐛 = 𝟏𝟎𝟏 × (𝟓𝟓 − 𝟏) × 𝛑 × 𝟒
= 𝟏𝟎𝟕𝟎. 𝟑𝟓 𝐤𝐍


 𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐋𝐄 𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐄
𝐓𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝟏𝟐 𝐦 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐞 =
Skin friction from sublayer 1 +
Skin friction from sublayer 2 +
Skin friction from sublayer 3 +
Skin friction from sublayer 4 +
Base resistance from sublayer 1

= (𝟒. 𝟗𝟗 + 𝟏𝟐. 𝟏𝟒 + 𝟖𝟒. 𝟕𝟖 + 𝟕𝟑. 𝟐𝟐 + 𝟏𝟎𝟕𝟎. 𝟑𝟓) 𝐤𝐍 = 𝟏𝟐𝟒𝟓. 𝟒𝟖 𝐤𝐍

𝟏𝟐𝟒𝟓.𝟒𝟖
∴ Total allowable load for a single pile with Factor of Safety of 2.5 = = 𝟒𝟗𝟖. 𝟏𝟗 𝐤𝐍
𝟐.𝟓