Types of Piles: Classification of Piles On The Basis of Load Transfer

Types of Piles
Piles can by classified on the basis of following characteristics:

1. Mechanism of Load Transfer (Also See:
Load Capacity of Piles)
2. Method of Installation
3. Type of Materials
Classification of Piles on the basis of load transfer

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Types of piles based on the mechanism of Load Transfer:
End/Point Bearing Piles:

If a bedrock or rocklike material is present at a site within a reasonable depth,
piles can be extended to the rock surface. In this case, the ultimate bearing
capacity of the pile depends entirely on the underlying material; thus the piles
are called end or point bearing piles. In most of these cases the necessary
length of the pile can be fairly well established.
Instead of bedrock, if a fairly compact and hard stratum of soil is encountered at a reasonable depth,
piles can be extended a few meters into the hard
stratum.
Friction Piles:
In these types of piles, the load on pile is resisted
mainly by skin/friction resistance along the side of
the pile (pile shaft). Pure friction piles tend to be
quite long, since the load-carrying. Capacity is a
function of the shaft area in contact with the soil. In
cohesion less soils, such as sands of medium to
low density, friction piles are often used to increase
the density and thus the shear strength. When no
layer of rock or rocklike material is present at a
reasonable depth at a site, point/end bearing piles
become very long and uneconomical. For this type of subsoil condition, piles ate driven through the
softer material to specified depth.
Friction cum end bearing piles
In the majority of cases, however, the load-carrying capacity is dependent on both endbearing and shaft friction.
Classification of Piles according to the Method of Installation of piles

Driven or displacement piles
They are usually pre-formed before being driven, jacked, screwed or hammered into ground. This
category consists of driven piles of steel or precast concrete and piles formed by driving tubes or
shells which are fitted with a driving shoe. The tubes or shells which are filled with concrete after
driving. Also included in this category are piles formed by placing concrete as the driven piles are
withdrawn.
(Also See:
Types of Soil
Settlement )
Bored or Replacement piles

They require a hole to be first bored
into which the pile is then formed
usually of reinforced concrete. The
shaft (bore) may be eased or uncased
depending upon type of soil.
Types of Piles based on

Materials
Timber piles
Timber piles are made of-tree

trunks driven with small end as
a point
Maximum length: 35 m; optimum length: 9 - 20m
Max load for usual conditions: 450 kN; optimum load range = 80 - 240 kN
Disadvantages of using timber piles:

Difficult to splice, vulnerable to damage in hard driving, vulnerable to decay unless treated with
preservatives (If timber is below permanent Water table it will apparently last forever), if subjected to
alternate wetting & drying, the useful life will be short, partly embedded piles or piles above Water
table are susceptible to damage from wood borers and other insects unless treated.
Advantages:
Comparatively low initial cost, permanently submerged piles are resistant to decay, easy to handle,
best suited for friction piles in granular material.
Steel piles
Maximum length practically unlimited, optimum length: 12-50m
Load for usual conditions = maximum allowable stress x cross-sectional area
The members are usually rolled HP shapes/pipe piles. Wide flange beams & I beams
proportioned to withstand the hard driving stress to which the pile may be subjected. In HP
pile the flange thickness = web thickness, piles are either welded or seamless steel pipes,
which may be driven either open ended or closed end. Closed end piles are usually filled
with concrete after driving.
Open end piles may be filled but this is not often necessary., dm
Advantages of steel piles:

Easy to splice, high capacity, small displacement, able to penetrate through light obstructions, best
suited for end bearing on rock, reduce allowable capacity for corrosive locations or provide corrosion
protection.
Disadvantages:
Vulnerable to corrosion.
HP section may be damaged/deflected by major obstruction
Concrete Piles
Concrete piles may be precast, prestressed, cast in place, or of composite construction
Precast concrete piles may be made using ordinary reinforcement or they may be
prestressed.
Precast piles using ordinary reinforcement are designed to resist bending stresses during
picking up & transport to the site & bending moments from lateral loads and to provide
sufficient resistance to vertical loads and any tension forces developed during driving.
Prestressed piles are formed by tensioning high strength steel prestress cables, and casting
the concrete about the cable. When the concrete hardens, the prestress cables are cut, with
the tension force in the cables now producing compressive stress in the concrete pile. It is
common to higher-strength concrete (35 to 55 MPa) in prestressed piles because of the
large initial compressive stresses from prestressing. Prestressing the piles, tend to
counteract any tension stresses during either handling or driving.
Max length: 10 - 15 m for precast, 20 - 30 m for prestressed
Optimum length 10 - 12 m for precast. 18 - 25m prestressed
Loads for usual conditions 900 for precast. 8500 kN for prestressed
Optimum load range: 350 - 3500 kN
Advantages:
1. High load capacities, corrosion resistance can be attained, hard driving possible
2. Cylinder piles in particular are suited for bending resistance.
3. Cast in place concrete piles are formed by drilling a hole in the ground & filling it with
concrete. The hole may be drilled or formed by driving a shell or casing into the ground.
Disadvantages:
1. Concrete piles are considered permanent, however certain soils (usually organic) contain
materials that may form acids that can damage the concrete.
2. Salt water may also adversely react with the concrete unless special precautions are taken
when the mix proportions are designed. Additionally, concrete piles used for marine
structures may undergo abrasion from wave action and floating debris in the water.
3. Difficult to handle unless prestressed, high initial cost, considerable displacement,
prestressed piles are difficult to splice.
4. Alternate freezing thawing can cause concrete damage in any exposed situation.
Composite piles
In general, a composite pile is made up of two or more sections of different materials or different pile
types. The upper portion could be eased cast-in-place concrete combined with a lower portion of
timber, steel H or concrete filled steel pipe pile. These piles have limited application and arc
employed under special conditions.

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Types of Piles

Piles can by classified on the basis of following characteristics:

Load Capacity of Piles)

Classification of Piles on the basis of load transfer

End/Point Bearing Piles:

Friction cum end bearing piles

Classification of Piles according to the Method of Installation of piles

Bored or Replacement piles

Types of Piles based on

Timber piles are made of-tree

Maximum length: 35 m; optimum length: 9 - 20m

Disadvantages of using timber piles:

Maximum length practically unlimited, optimum length: 12-50m

Load for usual conditions = maximum allowable stress x cross-sectional area

Advantages of steel piles:

HP section may be damaged/deflected by major obstruction

Concrete piles may be precast, prestressed, cast in place, or of composite construction

Max length: 10 - 15 m for precast, 20 - 30 m for prestressed

Optimum length 10 - 12 m for precast. 18 - 25m prestressed

Optimum load range: 350 - 3500 kN

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