An analytical approach to predicting the setup behaviour of driven piles and driven steel tubes

Campus Plus is introducing another Australian Government Department of Education National Industry PhD Program PhD industry-academia collaboration that brings together The University of Queensland‘s Professor David Williams, PhD candidate Edward Smith and Appeggio’s FSG Geotechnics & Foundations‘s Jim Slatter on a project to predict the set-up behaviour of driven piles and driven steel tubes.

Driven piles and driven steel tubes offer advantages over other piling techniques in certain ground conditions and construction programs. The way these piles are set up is unique but there is currently no method for analysing possible mechanisms or explaining how these set ups behave. Failure to effectively understand set up can affect construction, as well as resulting in delays due to unexpected and extended times for piles to set up or to achieve capacity.

This project will attempt to develop more efficient pile designs, increase the confidence of clients in the technology, and reduce unexpected delays on site when piles must be left for extended periods to set up until they achieve capacity. This project has the potential to influence a range of land development and infrastructure projects that rely on piled foundations.