Design of Reinforcement

for Pile Caps

Strut-and-tie models are illustrated for axial tension and bending loadings

by Tadeusz Granosik

D
eep foundations for pipe racks and open frame
structures used in the petrochemical industry are
often subjected to axial tension and bending. While
reinforcement design guidance is available for pile caps
subject to compressive or tensile loading,1, 2 many engineers
still use flexural design theory to determine the required pile
cap reinforcement for tensile loading, even when the clear span
to overall depth pile cap ratio is less than 2. This article will
help resolve this issue by providing some design examples.
Figure 1 shows a pile cap reinforcement scheme typically
found in structural drawings, with the top layer of bars
carrying the bending moment due to pile tension. A strut-and- Fig. 1: Typical pile cap reinforcement arrangement
tie model for a pile cap supported by two piles subjected to
compression is shown in Fig. 2. In this case, the compressive
load from the column is transmitted to the piles through
F
straight-line struts. At the bottom of the pile cap, the
horizontal components of the compressive struts are carried
by reinforcing bars acting as a tension tie. b
This article presents simplified strut-and-tie models for b/4 b/4
reinforcement of pile caps in the presence of tensile loads. For
the reinforcement design provided in this paper, a pile cap F/2 F/2
subjected to tension is loaded inversely to a pile cap subjected
to compression. This is demonstrated for pile caps supported
by two and four piles, which are the most common
d
h

configurations currently used.

T
Pile Caps Subjected to Axial Tension
ap

Supported by two piles

When the pile cap is subjected to tensile loading, the F/2 F/2
compressive struts are in equilibrium with the tensile tie
located at the top of the pile cap. For the pile cap supported
by two piles, it is assumed that the vertical column r
reinforcement is uniformly distributed along the column Fig. 2: Strut-and-tie model for a pile cap supported by two piles and
sides, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pile cap. subjected to compression

www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | JULY 2017 37

 r
F

F/2 F/2
T T
b
a a T1 b
T T
a a 1 T r 2 b 2+a 2
I I 2 2

ap
T1 T1 T
T
T T
T

h
T

d
F/2 r 2
F/2
F 2
b 2a 2
F/4 F/4 2
r
Fig. 3: Strut-and-tie model for a pile cap supported by two piles and
I vertical ties
subjected to tension

ap
T1 T1

h
d
Thus, the axial force F, as shown in Fig. 3, is distributed along
two vertical components. The tensile force T can be
determined geometrically as follows
F/4 F/4
(1) r 2

The required tension reinforcement area As is thus given by

Fig. 4: Strut-and-tie model for a pile cap supported by four piles and
subjected to tension
(2)

where fy is the specified yield strength of the reinforcement.

shown in Fig. 5. The force couple can be calculated using the
Supported by four piles following equation
For a pile cap supported by four piles, it can be assumed
that the vertical column reinforcement is concentrated at all (5)
four corners of the column. In this case, the axial force is
distributed along four vertical components, as shown in Fig. 4. Supported by two piles
For the geometrical relationships shown in Fig. 4, the diagonal In this case, the tensile force in a pile cap supported by two
tensile force, T1, is first calculated followed by the required piles can be determined by substituting FM in place of 0.5F in
tensile force, T. Eq. (1). This substitution gives

(3) (6)

(4) The reinforcement required to carry the tension tie force TM

can be calculated from Eq. (2).
With this tensile force known, the reinforcement to resist
the tension tie force, T, can be calculated from Eq. (2). Supported by four piles
To determine the tensile force when the pile cap is
Pile Caps Subjected to Bending Moment supported by four piles, one can substitute 0.5FM for 0.25F in
When the pile cap is subjected to a bending moment, the Eq. (3). This substitution gives
load can be resisted by a tension tie force couple, FM, which is
applied at the column reinforcement center of gravity, as (7)

38 JULY 2017 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com

 M Summary
This article presents simplified reinforcement designs
based on the strut-and-tie model for pile caps supported by two
FM FM and four pile configurations when subjected to axial tension
and bending. Apart from a horizontal reinforcement calculated
for tension forces T and TM, the vertical ties shown in Fig. 3
b
through 5 are proposed. These ties create a clear load path to
a a transfer the tensile force from the pile cap to piles via dowels.

I vertical ties References

1. Mitchell, D.; Collins, M.P.; Shrinivas, B.B.; and Rabbat, B.G.,
AASHTO LRFD Strut-and-Tie Model, Design Examples, EB 231,

ap
Portland Cement Association, Skokie, IL, 2004, 58 pp.
2. Widianto, and Bayrak, O., Example 11: Deep Pile Cap with

h
d Tension Piles, Further Examples for the Design of Structural Concrete
with Strut-and-Tie Models, SP-273, K.-H. Reineck and L.C. Novak, eds.,
American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, MI, 2010, pp. 11-1 to 11-23.

Selected for reader interest by the editors after independent expert

TM TM evaluation and recommendation.

r
Tadeusz Granosik is a retired Senior
Fig. 5: Strut-and-tie model for a pile cap supported by two piles and
Structural Engineer last employed by
subjected to a bending moment
WorleyParson, Calgary, AB, Canada. He
has been involved in the design of steel
The resulting reinforcement required to resist the tension tie and concrete structures, and foundations
for the pulp and paper, oil sands, and
force TM can now be calculated using Eq. (2). In the case of a
pharmaceutical industries. He received his
combined loading configuration that includes both tensile
MS from Lodz Technical University, d,
force and a bending moment, the required reinforcement is to Poland, and his PhD from Warsaw Technical
be calculated via superposition using the calculated values for University, Warsaw, Poland.
both T and TM.

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