Nordlund Method Procedure

STEP 10 Compute the ultimate capacity, Qu.

Qu = Rs + Rt

STEP 11 Compute the allowable geotechnical pile load, Qa.

Qu
Qa =
Factor of Safety
Example 9-2
Single Piles in Cohesive Soils

g Total stress method

− α-method or Tomlinson method
g Effective stress method
− β-method
Tomlinson or α-Method

Unit Shaft Resistance, fs:

fs = ca = αcu

Where:
ca = adhesion (Figure 9-14)
α = empirical adhesion factor (Figure 9-15)
Tomlinson or α-Method

Shaft Resistance, Rs:

Rs = fs As

Where:
As = pile surface area in layer
(pile perimeter x length)
Tomlinson or α-Method (US)
Figure 9-14

Concrete, Timber, Corrugated Steel Piles D = distance from ground surface to bottom of
clay layer or pile toe, whichever is less
Smooth Steel Piles
b = Pile Diameter
Tomlinson or α-Method

Sand or
Sandy Gravels

D Stiff Clay
b
Tomlinson or α-Method (US)

Figure 9-15a

D = distance into stiff clay layer

b = Pile Diameter
Tomlinson or α-Method

Soft Clay

D Stiff Clay
b
Tomlinson or α-Method (US)

Figure 9-15b

D = distance into stiff clay layer

b = Pile Diameter
Tomlinson or α-Method

D Stiff Clay

b
Tomlinson or α-Method (US)

Figure 9-15c

D = distance into clay layer

b = Pile Diameter
HIGHLY OVERCONSOLIDATED CLAYS

In highly overconsolidated clays, the undrained shear strength

may exceed the upper limits of Figures 9-14 and 9-15.

In these cases, the adhesion factor should be calculated

according to API procedures based on the ratio of the
undrained shear strength of the soil, cu, divided by the
effective overburden pressure, po’. The ratio of cu / po’ is Ψ.

For Ψ ≤ 1.0, α = 0.5 Ψ-0.5

For Ψ > 1.0, α = 0.5 Ψ-0.25

Tomlinson or α-Method

Unit Toe Resistance, qt:

qt = cu Nc

Where:
cu = undrained shear strength of the soil at pile toe

Nc = dimensionless bearing capacity factor

(9 for deep foundations)
Tomlinson or α-Method

Toe Resistance, Rt:

Rt = qt At

The toe resistance in cohesive soils is sometimes ignored

since the movement required to mobilize the toe resistance
is several times greater than the movement required to
mobilize the shaft resistance.
Tomlinson or α-Method

Qu = R S + R T
and

Qa = QU / FS
Example 9-3
Which pile has the highest toe
resistance ?
Plugging of Open Pile Sections

D
fso fsi fso

qt qt qt
b
Figure 9-18
(a) Open Toe Condition (b) Plugged Toe Condition
Plugging of H-Pile Sections

Figure 9-19
The DRIVEN Computer Program

g Developed by FHWA in 1998

g Use for calculation of static pile
capacity

g Demonstration of the DRIVEN computer

program
Piles Driven to Rock
The capacity of piles driven to rock should be based on driving
observations, local experience, and load test results.

RQD values from NX size rock cores can provide a qualitative

assessment of rock mass quality.
What is RQD? See Chapter 3
RQD Rock Mass Quality
90 – 100 Excellent
75 – 90 Good
50 – 75 Fair
25 – 50 Poor
0 - 25 Very Poor
 Piles Driven to Rock

Except for piles driven to soft rock, the structural capacity of

the pile will be lower than the geotechnical capacity of the rock
to support a toe bearing pile. (Fair to excellent quality rock).

The structural capacity of the pile then governs the pile

capacity.