Downdrag in Pile Design: The Positive Aspects of Negative Skin Friction

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary L. Kuhns
Keyword(s):  
Skin Friction ◽  
Negative Skin Friction ◽  
Pile Design

scholarly journals Downdrag Measurements on a 160-Ft Floating Pipe Test Pile in Marine Clay

1972 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Bozozuk
Keyword(s):  
Skin Friction ◽  
Compressive Load ◽  
Marine Clay ◽  
Positive Skin ◽  
Negative Skin Friction ◽  
Pore Pressures ◽  
Excess Pore Pressures ◽  
Test Pile ◽  
Excess Pore

Large negative skin friction loads were observed on a 160 ft (49 m) steel pipe test pile floating in marine clay. The test pile was driven, open-ended, on the centerline of a 30 ft (9 m) high granular approach fill on the Quebec Autoroute near Berthierville. Since the installation was made in 1966 the fill has settled 21 in. (53 cm), dragging the pile down with it. Negative skin friction acting along the upper surface of the pile was resisted by positive skin friction acting along the lower end as it penetrated the underlying clay. Under these conditions the pile compressed about [Formula: see text] (2 cm). Analysis of the axial strains indicated that a peak compressive load of 140 t developed at the inflection point between negative and positive skin friction 73 ft (22 m) below the top of the pile. Negative and positive skin friction acting on the upper surface of the pile exceeded the in situ shear strength and approached the drained strength of the soil where excess pore water pressures had dissipated. At the lower end where the positive excess pore pressures were high and relative movement between the pile and the soil was large, the positive skin friction approached the remoulded strength as measured with the field vane. Skin friction was increasing, however, as positive escess pore pressures dissipated.This paper shows that skin friction loads are related to the combination of (a) in situ horizontal effective stresses, (b) horizontal stresses due to embankment loads, and (c) horizontal stresses due to differential settlement of the fill.

Evaluation of Negative Skin Friction on Bridge Abutment Piles

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Osama Drbe
Keyword(s):  
Skin Friction ◽  
Pore Water Pressure ◽  
Design Method ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Strain Gauges ◽  
Total Stress ◽  
Vibrating Wire ◽  
Negative Skin Friction ◽  
Drag Forces ◽  
Wire Strain

Piles are used to transfer loads of structures to deeper and stronger soil layers through skin friction and/or end bearing. Surcharge loads, site grading, or dewatering may induce downward movement of soil adjacent to piles installed in a compressible medium. This movement creates negative skin friction stresses acting downward at the pile-soil interface, which applies additional loads “drag forces” to the pile causing a maximum axial load in the pile shaft at the “neutral plane”. To evaluate the development of drag forces, a comprehensive field monitoring program was conducted over four years for three instrumented abutment H-piles as part of a three-span bridge project. The soil settlement and changes in pore water pressure in the soil adjacent to the piles due to the construction of an approach embankment were monitored using multiple-point extensometers and vibrating wire piezometers. The piles’ elastic settlement and strains were measured using single-point extensometers and vibrating wire strain gauges. The field measurements are presented and discussed in terms of responses time histories and load distribution along one pile shaft. In addition, the calculated forces from vibrating wire strain gauges are compared with the unified design method prediction considering the total stress method (α-method) for cohesive soils. The results show that the maximum drag force was developed after the complete dissipation of excess pore water pressure and that the location of neutral plane varied during the embankment construction stages. Employing the total stress method in the unified design method provided a reasonable prediction of the drag force and the neutral plane’s location.

Research on Negative Skin Friction on Pile by a Simple Model Experiment

2014 ◽  
Vol 580-583 ◽  
pp. 693-696
Author(s):  
Ting Huang ◽  
Jin Hai Zheng ◽  
Wei Ming Gong
Keyword(s):  
Skin Friction ◽  
Model Test ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Test Methods ◽  
Negative Skin Friction ◽  
Experimental Scheme ◽  
Test Conditions ◽  
Surcharge Load ◽  
Conventional Test ◽  
Pile Model

Accompanied by the substantive construction of domestic ports, the negative skin friction on pile becomes a common problem. In order to provide references for the related experiment research in the future, the designs of model experiments reported in the literatures were emphatically analyzed and compared. Compared to conventional pile model test, the model test on negative skin friction on pile needs to apply load on soil surface and it is difficult to simulate large surcharge by conventional test methods. An experimental scheme which could produce large surcharge load by conventional test conditions is given in this paper. Pile stress, displacement of pile top and layered settlement of soil was tested under different surcharge level. The depth of neutral point and the group effect of NSF are discussed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document