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STATNAMIC LOAD TESTING

Development, Interpretation of Results,


Advantages

Presentation Outline
Pile Load Testing - background
Brief Statnamic Introduction
Recent activities in the US
Statnamic Theory and Analysis
Recent activities in Taiwan
20MN testing at the TFC project, Taiwan
other notable jobs

Standardisation of RAPID Load Testing


Q&A and Discussion

Quick Statnamic Facts


21 Statnamic devices world-wide
12 Statnamic testing companies
Over 1200 contract Statnamic load tests
performed in 16 countries - more than one
test every day, somewhere in the world!
Over 80 published papers, including papers
from 2 International Statnamic Seminars
More than 10 Universities currently
researching Statnamic (USA - Auburn, USF, BYU,
Umass, John Hopkins, plus others)

Acceptance by 16 State DOTs in the US, US


Army Corps of Engineers, FHWA, and
Japanese Geotechnical Society

Pile Load Testing


Background

20MN Static Load Test

STATIC TEST - Reaction piles

Features of STATIC Load Tests


Advantages

Disadvantages

- Static behaviour
- Expensive
- Maintained load
- Time consuming
- Cyclic loading
- Different procedures
- No pile damage
- Direct load
measurement
(calibrated load cell)
- Direct displacement
measurement

Dynamic Load Test

Features of DYNAMIC Load Tests


Advantages
- Economic
- Quick

Disadvantages
- Indirect load measurements
strain transducers : F = E.A.
concrete piles : E variable
bored piles: E and A variable

- Indirect displacement measurements


accelerometers, u = a.dt

- Calibration to static load test


- Experienced high level
educated engineers
- Chance on pile damage
- In many cases capacity
not mobilised

Statnamic

Introduction to Statnamic

load
displacement

strain
acceleration

load
displacement
14

The Idea
LOAD

DLT

STN
Statnamic

TIME

Note: The JGS defines a Rapid Load Test as 5 < tr < 500, where tr is the number of times a
stress wave will travel up and down the pile during the loading event

This type of test was clearly different from a Dynamic Load Test

A NEW WORD WAS REQUIRED!!

Inertial Load Testing (Bermingham - 1987)


STATNAMIC (Middendorp - (1989))
Pseudo-static (Fundex PS PLT - early 1990s)
Kinetic (Holeyman - 1992)
Rapid Load Test (Japanese Study Group - 1995)
Transient Long-period (Janes -1997)
Slow dynamic (Goble, Rausche - 2000)
others - impulse, kinematic, push, etc.

...a global perspective...


In March of 2000, the Japanese
Geotechnical Society added Rapid Load
Testing to their national standard for pile
testing.
In the year 2000, it is estimated that there
will be more than 500 Statnamic Load
Tests on foundations around the world.

STN Joint development


Statnamic is a joint development of TNO from the
Netherlands and Berminghammer from Canada
Berminghammer
- Statnamic device
- Pyrotechnics & ignition system
- Catch mechanism
TNO
- Electronics & data acquisition - Analysis software
- Soil dynamics & theoretical and applied research
- Development

Statnamic Schematic
Gravel
Container
Gravel container
Gravel
ReactionGravel
masses
Silencer
Cylinder
Platform
Masses
Laser sensor
Laser
Laser beam

Pile

Piston
Load cell
Pile to be tested

Laser

Newark Airport - 3,500 ton Statnamic Test

1800 tons
Japan
Test Pile as
Support Pile

300 ton Statnamic Testing in Holland

500 ton Testing at JFK Airport, New York, N.Y.

Mechanical Catching Mechanism (2000)

1800 ton
Test Pile as
Support Pile
Mechanical
Catching
Mechanism

Recent Activities in the USA


Use of Water as Reaction Mass

Concept

Experiments at Berminghammers Yard in Canada, 98

First Contract Test - Lake Charles, Louisiana

Statnamic Hammer (in development)

Recent Activities in the USA


Lateral Load Testing

400 ton Lateral Testing - Auburn, Alabama

800 ton Lateral Testing - Mississippi

Lateral Test Programs in the US


New Bern, North Carolina DOT (50 tons)
Brigham Young University - (200 tons) Utah DOT &
CALTRANS
Auburn University, Alabama - (250 tons) (FHWA)
Pascagoula, Mississippi DOT (800 tons, over-water)
Providence, Rhode Island DOT (400 tons, over-water)
San Juan, Puerto Rico Trans Authority (400 tons)
New Bern, North Carolina DOT (1200 tons, over-water)

Statnamic Earthquake Generator


(John Hopkins University & FHWA)

Foundation Types Tested in the USA


Using Statnamic
Drilled Shafts
tested up to 3500 tons
laterally and axially

Driven Piles (all types)


Pile Groups
tested laterally and axially

Stone Columns
Auger-Cast Piles
conventional and displacement types

Spread Footings and Plates


Other types of Ground Modification

Background
Statnamic Theory and Analysis
GOAL:
to derive the STATIC load
displacement behavior from a
STATNAMIC load test
(usual goal for axial compression testing)

Structural Analogy
Static

Dynamic

u
F

F = ku

F = ma + cv + ku

(Static)

(Statnamic)

Physical Model
F

EQUATION OF MOTION:

u
m

F = ma + cv + ku
This equation describes the equilibrium between
some forcing function and the 3 forces:
Inertia (mass x acceleration)

Damping (damping coefficient x velocity)


Stiffness (stiffness coefficient x displ.)
This equation forms the basis for describing the
motion of any single degree of freedom system.

Analysis
Assuming that stress-waves can be ignored, the analysis of
a Statnamic Load Test is greatly simplified in comparison
to a dynamic load test.
Although stress-waves may be ignored, the dynamic
effects of INERTIA and DAMPING CANNOT!
Result: a detailed model, which includes pile and soil
properties IS NOT NEEDED.
A simple physical model can be used to remove the effects
of damping and inertia from the measured signals - no
information about the soil is needed, and subjective
judgement is minimized.

LOAD (MN)
0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

DISPLACEMENT (mm)

Measured Statnamic
20
40

Derived Static

60
80

Derived Static from Statnamic

8.0

LOAD (MN)
0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

DISPLACEMENT (mm)

20

Static - 3 cycles

40
60

Statnamic

80
100
120

14 m Driven Concrete Pile in Sand

7.0

Load (kN)
100
200

S e ttle m e nt (m m )

0
5

10
15
20
25
30

STN Derived Static


Static with holds removed

300

Recent Activities in Taiwan


2000 ton Testing at the
Taipei FinancialCenter

STATIC TEST - Reaction piles

Load (tonnes)
0

500

1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500

Displacement (mm)

0
5

Derived Static LoadDisplacement

10
15
20
25
30

Measured Static
LoadDisplacement

Load (tonnes)
0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Displacement (mm)

2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20

Measured Static
LoadDisplacement
ASTM Quick Test,
Pile 241

Derived Static LoadDisplacement from


Measured Statnamic
Pile 241

Load (tonnes)

Displacement (mm)

0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20

500

1000

1500
Quick Static
LoadDisplacement

Derived Static
LoadDisplacement

2000

2500

Notable Projects from


Around the World

Library of Alexandria, Egypt

Quay West Apartments, Melbourne, Australia

Hanshin Expressway, Kobe, Japan

Standards

Standardisation of RAPID Load Testing


Recommendations on STN testing of
PILES in soil and rock (FHWA)
Japanese Geotechnical Society,
Standard for Rapid Load Testing (2000)
ASTM - Standard for Rapid Axial
Compressive Load (2008)
Florida LRFD Design Guidelines

The End.

mjustason@berminghammer.com
www.berminghammer.com

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