Abstract
Geotechnical designs, like other engineering disciplines, are always accompanied by uncertainties. Supplying continuous and reliable records and reducing the uncertainty associated with measurement errors, the cone penetration test (CPT) enhances the geotechnical designs to a more decent level. Deep foundation design, as an essential challenge of foundation engineering, is also involved with different sources of uncertainty. Moreover, the presence of various design methods, relying on different assumptions and requirements, introduces further complications to the selection of an appropriate method, which leads to the broad spectrum of the predictions. Hence, a database, including 60 driven pile load test results and CPT records in the vicinity of them, was compiled to investigate the model uncertainties embedded in various predictive approaches. Investigated approaches include two static analyses, five SPT, and five CPT-based methods, and were implemented to predict axial pile bearing capacity. The model parameters for these methods are investigated through seven statistical, probabilistic, and reliability-based criteria. Performance of the methods under these criteria is assessed by the use of radar charts. Moreover, the resistance factor, adopted in this study to estimate the efficiency ratio and actual factor of safety, is calibrated by four different prevailing methods. Eventually, among conventional available predictive methods, CPT-based methods perform better than others and result in cost-effective and optimized trends.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
AASHTO, LRFD (2007) LRFD highway bridges specifications, si units, 4th edn. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, DC
AASHTO, LRFD (2012) LRFD highway bridges specifications, si units, 6th edn. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, DC
Allen TM (2005) Development of geotechnical resistance factors and downdrag load factors for LRFD foundation strength limit state design: reference manual. US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, National Highway Institute
A.P.I. (2000) Recommended practice for planning, designing and constructing fixed offshore platforms–working stress design. In: Twenty.
Barker R, Duncan J, Rojiani K, Ooi P, Tan C, Kim S (1991) NCHRP Report 343: manuals for the Design of Bridge Foundations. Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington, DC
Bazaraa AR, Kurkur MM (1986) N-values used to predict settlements of piles in Egypt. In: Use of In Situ Tests in Geotechnical Engineering. ASCE, pp 462–474
Briaud JL, Tucker LM (1988) Measured and predicted axial capacity of 98 piles. ASCE J Geotech Eng 114(9):984–1001
Brinch Hansen J (1963) Discussion of hyperbolic stress-strain response: cohesive soil by Robert L Kondner. ASCE J Soil Mech Found Eng 89(4):241–242
Bustamante M, Gianeselli L (1982) Pile bearing capacity prediction by means of static penetrometer CPT. In: Proceedings of the 2nd European symposium on penetration testing, 493–500.
CFEM (2006) Canadian foundation engineering manual. Canadian Geotechnical Society (CGS): Richmond
Chin FK (1978) Diagnosis of pile condition. Geotech Eng 9:85–104
Davisson MT (1972) High capacity piles. In: Proceedings, soil mechanics lecture series on innovations in foundation construction, 81–112. Chicago: ASCE, Illinois Section
de Ruiter J, Beringen F (1979) Pile foundations for large north sea structures. Mar Georesour Geotechnol 3(3):267–314
Decourt L (1995) Prediction of load settlement relationships for foundations on the basis of the SPT-T. Ciclo de Conferencias Inter. “Leonardo Zeevaert”, UNAM, Mexico, 85–104.
Eslami A (1996). Bearing capacity of piles from cone penetrometer test data (Doctoral dissertation, Ph. D. Thesis, University of Ottawa, Department of Civil Engineering).
Eslami A, Fellenius BH (1997) Pile capacity by direct CPT and CPTu methods applied to 102 case histories. Can Geotech J 34:886–904
Eslami M, Hosseini B, Eslami A (2010) Structural and geotechnical aspects of long driven piles for Urmiyeh Lake causeway bridge. In: Proceedings of the 35th annual conference on deep foundations, Deep Foundation Institute (DFI), Hollywood, USA
Eslami A, Golafzani SH, Jamshidi Chenari R (2016) Assessment of Babolsar concrete pedestrian bridge failure for 1964 flood event and retrofitting practice. Eng Fail Anal 68:101–112
Fellenius BH, Tech P (2001) What capacity value to choose from the results a static loading test. Fulcrum, Deep Foundation Institute, New Jersey
Hasofer AM, Lind NC (1974) Exact and invariant second-moment code format. J Eng Mech Div 100(1):111–121
Heidarie Golafzani S, Jamshidi Chenari R, Eslami A (2019) Reliability based assessment of axial pile bearing capacity: static analysis, SPT and CPT-based methods. Georisk Assess Manag Risk Eng Syst Geohazards. https://doi.org/10.1080/17499518.2019.1628281
Hu Z, McVay M, Bloomquist D, Horhota D, Lai P (2012) New ultimate pile capacity prediction method based on cone penetration test (CPT). Can Geotech J 49(8):961–967
Jamshidi Chenari R, Kamyab Farahbakhsh H (2015) Generating non-stationary random fields of auto-correlated, normally distributed CPT profile by matrix decomposition method. Georisk Assess Manag Risk Eng Syst Geohazards 9(2):96–108
Jamshidi Chenari R, Kamyab Farahbakhsh H, Heidarie Golafzani S, Eslami A (2018) Non-stationary realisation of CPT data: considering lithological and inherent heterogeneity. Georisk: Assess Manag Risk Eng Syst Geohazards 12:1–14
Jefferies M, Davies M (1993) Use of CPTu to estimate equivalent SPT N60. ASTM Geotechn Test J 16(4):458–468
Kwak K, Kim KJ, Huh J, Lee JH, Park JH (2010) Reliability-based calibration of resistance factors for static bearing capacity of driven steel pipe piles. Can Geotech J 47(5):528–538
Meyerhof GG (1976) Bearing capacity and settlement of pile foundations. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 102:197–228
Meyerhof GG (1983) Scale effects of ultimate pile capacity. J Geotech Eng 109:797–806
Moshfeghi S, Eslami A (2016) Study on pile ultimate capacity criteria and CPT-based direct methods. Int J Geotech Eng 12:1–12
Moshfeghi S, Eslami A (2018) Failure analysis of CPT-based direct methods for axial capacity of driven piles in sand. Georisk Assess Manag Risk Eng Syst Geohazards. https://doi.org/10.1080/17499518.2018.1478105
Niazi FS (2014) Static axial pile foundation response using seismic piezocone data (Doctoral dissertation, Georgia Institute of Technology).
Paikowsky SG, Birgisson B, McVay M, Nguyen T, Kuo C, Baecher GB, Ayyub B, Stenersen K, O’Malley K, Chernauskas L, O’Neill M (2004) Load and resistance factor design for deep foundations, NCHRP Report 507. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington DC
Phoon K-K, Kulhawy FH (1999a) Characterization of geotechnical variability. Can Geotech J 36:612–624
Phoon K-K, Kulhawy FH (1999b) Evaluation of geotechnical property variability. Can Geotech J 36:625–639
Phoon KK, Kulhawy FH (2005) Characterization of model uncertainties for laterally loaded rigid drilled shafts. Geotechnique 55(1):45–54
Rackwitz R, Fiessler B (1978) Structural reliability under combined random load sequences. Comput Struct 9(5):489–494
Schmertmann JH (1978) Guidelines for cone penetration test: performance and design (No. FHWA-TS-78–209). United States. Federal Highway Administration.
Shioi Y, Fukui J (1982) Application of N-value to design of foundations in Japan. In: Proceeding of the second European symposium on penetration testing, vol 1, pp 159-16
Styler MA (2006) Development and implementation of the DIGGS format to perform LRFD resistance factor calibration of driven concrete piles in Florida (Doctoral dissertation, University of Florida).
Tang C, Phoon KK (2016) Model uncertainty of Eurocode 7 approach for bearing capacity of circular footings on dense sand. Int J Geomech 17(3):04016069
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Heidarie Golafzani, S., Eslami, A. & Jamshidi Chenari, R. Probabilistic Assessment of Model Uncertainty for Prediction of Pile Foundation Bearing Capacity; Static Analysis, SPT and CPT-Based Methods. Geotech Geol Eng 38, 5023–5041 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-020-01346-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-020-01346-x