CHAPTER 5 DESIGN OF MICROPILES FOR STRUCTURE FOUNDATIONS 5.1 INTRODUCTION A typical micropile cross section used for structural foundation support is shown on Figure 5- 1. This micropile consists of an upper length reinforced with a permanent steel casing with a center steel reinforcing bar and a lower grouted bond length reinforced with the center reinforcing bar. The geotechnical load capacity of a micropile is sensitive to the process used during micropile construction, especially the techniques used for drilling the micropile shaft, flushing the drill cuttings, and grouting the micropile, Therefore, verification of the shaft resistance developed at the grout — ground interface assumed in design via micropile load testing is essential to confirm structure safety; load testing should therefore be considered a part of the design. The basic philosophy of micropile design differs little from that for a drilled shaft. The system must be capable of sustaining the anticipated loading conditions with the micropile components operating at safe stress levels, and with resulting displacements being within tolerable (or allowable) limits. For conventional drilled shafts, where the large cross sectional area results in high structural capacity and stiffness, the design is normally governed by the geotechnical load capacity, iie., side and base resistance. Because micropiles have a relatively small cross sectional area, the design is usually controlled by structural considerations. Moreover, the high grout to ground capacities that can be developed using pressure grouting techniques will typically result in high geotechnical load capacities. The purpose of this chapter is to present a step-b; step generalized method for the design of micropiles used for structural foundations. The major steps and substeps in this design method are outlined in Table 5-1. Detailed information for each of these steps is presented in this chapter and a complete design is shown in Sample Problem No. 1 FHWA NHL-05.039 (Chapter 5 ~ Design for Structure Foundations Micropile Design & Construction SI December 2005Table 5-1. Design Steps for Micropiles used for Structural Foundations. 1 Identify project requirements and evaluate micropile feasibility 2, Review available information and perform subsurface exploration and laboratory testing program 3. Develop all loading combinations 4, Preliminary design of micropiles + spacing + Iength # cross section 5. Evaluate allowable structural capacity of cased length 6, Evaluate allowable structural capacity of uncased length 7. Compare design loads to structural capacity from Steps 5 and 6 and modify structural section, if necessary 8. Evaluate geotechnical capacity of micropile * evaluate suitable ground stratum for bond zone + select bond stress and calculate bond length required to resist design load + evaluate micropile group capacity for compression and tension (i.c., uplift) 9. Estimate micropile group settlement 10, Design micropile to footing connection at pile cap 11, Develop load testing program 12, Prepare Drawings and Specifications Other Design Considerations 1. Corrosion Protection** 2. Plunge Length 3. End Bearing Micropiles 4. Downdrag 5. Lateral Loads on Single Vertical Micropiles 6. Lateral Loads on Micropile Groups 7. Buckling 8. Seismic Corrosion protection is a critical component of all micropile designs, FHWA NHL05-039 Chapter 5 — Design for Structure Foundations Micropile Design & Construction 52 December 2005MICROPILE € REINFORCING BAR TOP OF FOOTING —— N\ ’ L I PILE CAP ANCHORAGE — BOTTOM OF — TOP OF DENSE SOIL/ROCK CASED UPPER MICROPILE LENGTH ‘CASING PLUNGE LENGTH a PRESSURE, GROUTED MICROPILE BOND LENGTH STEEL CASING TOTAL MICROPILE LENGTH CENTRALIZER J GROUTED BOND ZONE DIAMETER (DIA sona) Figure 5-1, Detail of a Composite Reinforced Micropile. 5.2 STEP 1: EVALUATE PROJECT REQUIREMENTS AND MICROPILE FEASIBILITY It is essential to systematically consider various foundation types and to select the optimum alternative based on the superstructure requirements, the subsurface conditions, and foundation cost, Foundation types may include shallow foundations consisting of spread FHWA NHL-05.039 (Chapter 5 ~ Design for Structure Foundations Micropile Design & Construction 53 December 2005