Estimation of lateral capacity of rock socketed piles in layered soil-rock profile

Abstract

Large diameter rock socketed piles were preferred for the purpose of transmission of a huge volume of both vertical and lateral load from superstructure to a deeper depth safely without any structural defects. A series of experimental program was conducted on model pile for studying the behaviour of the rock socketed pile under static lateral load in a soil-rock layered profile system. The model piles were instrumented with displacement and force transducers for measuring the magnitude of the pile movement and load transferred by the pile. The experimental results showed that the rock socketed pile lateral capacity has significantly affected by the depth of embedment of the pile in soil and depth of rock socket. There was a considerable increase in the lateral capacity of the pile when the depth of socketing is three times the diameter of the pile into rock with a minimum embedment. In the 3D socketed piles, the lateral capacity of the pile is almost 18 times higher than the non-socketed piles. From the experimental study, it is also observed that when the piles socketed more in to the hard strata (rock), the depth of fixity increases and the lateral displacement reduces substantially.