THEORETICAL T-Z CURVES

Most procedures to compute the t-z (stress-displacement) response for axial pile loading are empirical, based mostly on data for pile diameters less than 18 in. (0.15 m) and pile penetrations less than 100 ft (30 m). These procedures may not be appropriate for pile and soil conditions that differ from those on which the procedures were developed. Therefore, a theoretical procedure is developed to generate t-z curves for predicting pile movements under axial load. The procedure uses an approximate one-dimensional, elastic continuum approach to define the t-z response up to the maximum t response and laboratory simulation to define the post-peak response. The procedure was used with several case studies. Predicted response of the pile under axial loading was in good agreement with the measured response.