Modified coefficient of subgrade reaction to laterally loaded piles

Abstract

An accurate prediction of the load capacity of a laterally loaded pile at a permissible displacement is an important concern at the design stage. In contrast to many sophisticated methods, Broms’ method based on moment equilibrium has been preferred by engineers to predict the load capacities of laterally loaded piles due to both its simplicity and because it is established on a way of hand calculation. However, Broms’ method typically overestimates a pile’s lateral load capacity as it requires a constant coefficient of horizontal subgrade reaction (nh) into analyses, regardless of the magnitude of the pile’s top displacement. In this study, modified coefficients of subgrade reactions(nh*) that are sensitive to the pile’s top displacement in cohesionless soils are first proposed to improve the performance level of Broms’ method for the prediction of the load capacity of a laterally loaded pile as the pile’s top displacement increases. The modified values of nh* are calibrated using 45 independently free-head, single-driven, full-scale pile tests from 23 sites in cohesionless soils. It is demonstrated that Broms’ method with nh* would correctly estimate a pile’s lateral load-deflection behavior with accuracy levels similar to more complicated methods.