Methodology for Assessing the Effect of Jacked Prismatic Reinforced Concrete Piles on the Stress–Strain State of Foundation Soils

Introduction. The installation of precast reinforced concrete piles by static jacking is generally considered a low-impact technology; however, when applied on a large scale in water-saturated clay soils, a significant heave of both the surrounding soil mass and adjacent buildings is observed. An engineering method is presented that enables a preliminary assessment of the extent of the influence zone and prediction of deformations in adjacent structures.

Materials and methods. The proposed approach is based on an analytical solution to the problem of soil consolidation around a pile; it employs a model of radial pore-water flow. A homogeneous pile field is represented as an equivalent cavity whose volume is equal to the volume of the displaced soil. The radius of the influence zone is defined as the distance beyond which the excess pore water pressure is zero. The heave of the surrounding soil mass is evaluated using a layer-by-layer summation technique.

Results. To assess the applicability of the procedure, the results of the analytical solution were compared with the geotechnical monitoring data. The predicted values demonstrated satisfactory agreement with the in-situ measurements. The applicability of empirical correlations for estimating the undrained shear strength of soil within the proposed approach was evaluated.

Conclusions. The procedure for estimating deformations of the soil mass and the influence zone during pile installation by static jacking has been verified against field observations in Saint Petersburg, and its suitability is confirmed for engineering calculations at preliminary design stages. A key condition for the reliability of the prediction is the use of undrained shear strength parameters obtained from laboratory triaxial tests. To ensure reliability and to account for complex engineering and geological conditions, final recommendations should be developed on the basis of numerical modeling.

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