PILE

INTERCONNECTIO

EXAMPLE
A two-story masonry bearing wall structure has a
pile foundation. Piles are located around the
perimeter of the building. The foundation plan of the
building is shown below. The following information is
given:

Determine the following:

1. Interconnection requirements.
2. Interconnection force between
pile caps 3 and 10.
3. Required tie restraint between
pile caps 3 and 10.

1. Interconnection
Requirements
The code requires that individual pile
caps of every structure subject to seismic
forces be interconnected with ties. The ties
must be capable of resisting in tension and
compression, a minimum horizontal tie
force equal to 10 percent of the larger
column vertical load. The column vertical
load is to be considered the dead, reduced
live, and seismic loads on the pile cap. An
exception to Interconnection Requirements
allows use of equivalent restraint.

2.
Interconnection
force
between pile caps 3 and 10
Maximum loads on each pile cap under
E/W seismic forces are:
Pile cap 3 = 46 +16 + 0 = 62 kips
Pile cap 10 = 58 +16 + 0 = 74 kips
Minimum horizontal tie force is 10 percent
of largest column vertical load:
P = 0.10 (74)= 7.40 kips

3. Required tie
between pile caps 3

restraint
and 10.

This is greater than 3'-0" pile cap width,

but pile cap and a tributary length of N/S grade
beam on either side of the pile cap may be
designed to resist tie forces using passive
pressure. This system is shown below, and if
this is properly designed, no grade beam
between pile caps 3 and 10 (or similar caps) is
required.

Commentary
Normally, buildings on pile foundations are required
to have interconnecting ties between pile caps. This
is particularly true in the case of high rise buildings
and buildings with heavy vertical loads on individual
pile caps. Ties are essential in tall buildings. Ties are
also necessary when the site soil conditions are
poor such that lateral movements, or geotechnical
hazards, such as liquefaction, are possible. Also
note that while pile interconnections has the
wording tension or compression, the intent is that
the ties must resist the required forces in both
tension and compression.

In design of relatively lightweight oneand two-story buildings, the exception to the

interconnecting tie requirement of pile
interconnections
may
permit
a
more
economical foundation design. However, when
interconnecting
ties
are
omitted,
a
geotechnical engineer should confirm the
appropriateness of this decision.

PREPARED BY:
ANGCAYA, ERVIN JAY
MANALO, IVY
BSCE 4-2