IWM 5th 2002 In Venice

Session V
In-situ Load Test of High Capacity Micropiles foundation on mountain ground

In-situ Load Test of High Capacity Micropiles foundation

on mountain ground
Masao Sagara *
Kouichiro Shito** Yoshinori Igase** Gaku Ohashi**
Etsuro Saito* Terukatsu Sasaya* Toshihisa Hatano*
Yoshito Maeda***
* FUJITA Corporation, Technology Development Division
** Japan Highway Public Corporation
***Professor of Kyushu Kyoritsu University, Development of Civil Engineering
Abstract
In general, the caisson type pile method is used on the mountain ground. However, there are
some problems in the caisson type pile method. The High Capacity Micropiles method is
expected as a method of taking the place of the caisson type pile method. This Paper describes
In-situ Load Test of High Capacity Micropiles foundation on mountain ground. The following
findings were obtained by the experiment.
1) It is possible to construct HMP in the bedrock ground. It has enough bearing capacity.
2) The Bearing capacity is transmitted from the upper part to the lower side. End bearing
capacity of HMP was confirmed.
3) The Bearing capacity is transmitted from the upper part to the lower side.
4) More batter piles than the straight piles are stronger.
5) Constructed HMP toe was confirmed by watching.

1. Introduction
In general, the caisson type pile method is used on the mountain ground. The caisson type pile has
the problem in construction such as needing the installation of the digging machine on a narrow site.
Moreover, there is a problem in the environmental, which should be dispose of the dug gravel etc.,
too.
On the other hand, the High Capacity Micropiles method is known generically of the
cast-in-place pile of 300mm or less. The construction machine of the High

Capacity Micropiles method is small. It is suitable for construction on a narrow site.

Because the diameter of High Capacity Micropile is small, the digging soil volume
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Fujita Corporation

IWM 5th 2002 In Venice

Session V
In-situ Load Test of High Capacity Micropiles foundation on mountain ground

is also comparatively few.

It is an expected method

Table 1 The material of HMP

material
Steel pipe

specification
The high strength steel pipe (API-N80) Outside diameter
=177.8mm,
Thickness =12.7mm, Standard length =1,500mm,
Yield Strength =550N/mm2, Elasticity coefficient =2.0105N/mm2,
Yield Strength =490N/mm2(SD490) Calling diameter=51mm(D51),
Elasticity coefficient =2.0105N/mm2,
Cement cement water ratio W/C=50% , High-early-strength
portland cement, Design Strength=30N/mm2, Elasticity coefficient
=1.36104/mm2result of test
Drilling diameter 205mm, Bond length=4000 (vertical pile),4061
(batter pile),

as a foundation pile in
the mountain ground. We
are researching for High

Deformed
bar
Grouting

Capacity Micropiles method

(hereafter,

HMP)

which

Bond of
HMP

uses the high strength steel pipe, the deformed bar, and the grout material. We
1250

50/4
50/4

mudstone

50/4
50/0
50/2
50/0

4000
8000

crushed
mudstone

mudstone
crushed mudstone

50/0

4000

50/8
50/10

2326

weathering
mudstone

4000

50/8

1674

50/16

500
500

900
(5D)

4000

50/17

very weathering
D
mudstone

8000

300

295
311
500
250

6000

9000

1500

2500

1356

1000

N Value
0

bearing
stratum
aTest pile
(batter pile 10 )

bTest pile
(vertical pile)

Figure1 The outline of geological

column and the test pile of HMP

mudstone

have aimed to examine the applicability of HMP on the mountain ground. I

reported on Lateral Loading Test for a Model of Micropiles Foundation on slope
ground" in IWM 2001. This Paper describes In-situ Load Test of High Capacity Micropiles

foundation on mountain ground and Confirmation of constructed HMP toe .

2. Test pile of HMP and Ground Condition

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Fujita Corporation

IWM 5th 2002 In Venice

Session V
In-situ Load Test of High Capacity Micropiles foundation on mountain ground

The material of HMP is shown in Table1. The load test of HMP was done in the bedrock ground on
the Nakaissiki bridge construction site in the second Toumei expressway of Japan Highway Public
Corporation. After the load test of HMP, caisson type pile of 13.5m in diameter and 16.5m in depth
will be constructed in the place. Therefore, there is no problem even if HMP is dug up. The outline
of geological column and the test pile of HMP are shown in Figure1. The stratum up to -1.17m in the
underground is weathering mudstone like the sand of the clay mixing. As for the stratum from
-1.17m in the underground to -2.8m, weathering becomes weak more than stratums located up.
However, it is weak mudstone, which has a lot of crack, and becomes crushed gravel easily. The rock
from -2.8m in the underground to -5.6m is fresh. However, there are some cracks. The stratum at

500

500

deeper position than -5.6m in the underground is fresh mudstone with little weathering.

500

500

500

High strength steel pipe

500

Section

2000

500

Deformed bar,

8500

8500

Grouting

Section

Section

Section

Section

Section

Section

Section

Section

Section

Section

Section

Section

Section

Section

Section

750

Section

Section

1000

2000

500

Section

700

Section

200

Section

4.0m

1500

Bond length

1000

Section

Section

Section

1300

700

Section

Section

200

700

Section

4.0m

400

Section

Bond length

550

Section

Section

Section

Alternating Vertical Loading Test Pile

Vertical Loading Test Pile
Alternating Lateral Loading Test Pile
Alternating Lateral Loading Test for a couple of batter piles

Figure2Test Piles

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Fujita Corporation

IWM 5th 2002 In Venice

Session V
In-situ Load Test of High Capacity Micropiles foundation on mountain ground
Load (kN)
1000 2000 3000 4000 5000

Displacement(mm)

Yield bearing capacity

2100kN

20
40
Ultimate bearing capacity
4100kN

60
80
100

Fig.3 The relation of load-vertical displacement

0

1000

Axis force(kN)
2000 3000 4000

5000

0
1

Depth()

2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Fig.4 The axis force

2
Skin friction stress(kN/m
)

6000

Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section

5000
4000

ultimate
bearing
capacity

3000
2000

yield
bearing
capacity

1000
0
0

10
20
30
40
50
Relative displacement (mm)

Fig.5 The relation between skin friction stress

and displacement

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Fujita Corporation

IWM 5th 2002 In Venice

Session V
In-situ Load Test of High Capacity Micropiles foundation on mountain ground

3. Outline of the Loading Test for the HMP

The test piles of the full-scale HMP were constructed, and vertical loading test, alternating vertical
loading test, alternating lateral loading test, alternating lateral loading test for a couple of batter piles
were done. Details of the test piles of HMP are shown in Figure2. The confirmation of the
constructed paling targeted healthy anchor piles. Healthy anchor piles were targeted for the
confirmation of the constructed HMP. HMP were dug up by the casing drilling of 600 diameter.
We confirmed HMP toe by watching.

4. Result of The Loading Test

4.1Vertical Loading Test
Figure 3 shows the relation of load-vertical displacement. The vertical yield bearing capacity is
2100kN when the pile top displacement is 12.4. The vertical ultimate bearing capacity is 4100kN
when the pile top displacement is 60.0. 60 is the amounts of the displacement of about 30% of
the diameter of HMP. The surroundings area of bond length, counted divides ultimate bearing
capacity, and the obtained value is skin friction stress. Skin friction stress of the average is
1524kN/m2. This value corresponds to skin friction stress of hard rock in the ground anchor standard
(The Japanese Geotechnical Society). The axis force chart is shown in Figure4. The value with a
very big warp was indicated in the boundary part of the steel pipe and the deformed bar (
from section ) while becoming near yield bearing capacity. Because it seemed an abnormal value,
the revised value is indicated in figure. It is understood that bearing capacity is supported with bond
part of 5-8m in depth. And, we understood that bearing capacity is transmitted from the upper part to
pile toe in bond part of HMP. The axis force of about 800kN was confirmed in the pile toe, and endbearing capacity of HMP was confirmed in the bedrock ground when it is the vertical ultimate
bearing capacity. The relation between skin friction stress and displacement is shown in Figure5.
Skin friction stress indicates a big value in - section and -section at the vertical ultimate
bearing capacity, and it is understood that the HMP is supported in - section.

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Displacement(mm)

IWM 5th 2002 In Venice

Session V
In-situ Load Test of High Capacity Micropiles foundation on mountain ground

100
80
60
40
20

up

0
down

- 20
- 40
- 2000

- 1000Push

Pull

1000
2000
Load(kN)

Fig.6 Result of alternating vertical loading test

Pull

S
k
infric
tio
ns
tre
s
s

(k
N
/m )

2500

Section
Section
Section
Section

2000

Section
Section
Section
Section

1500

yield
bearing
capacity

1000
500
0
0

Relative displacement (mm)

Fig.7 skin friction stress and the amount of

relative displacement

4.2Alternating Vertical Loading Test

Result of alternating vertical loading test is shown in Figure6. Both the pulling yield bearing
capacity and the pushing yield bearing capacity is 1200kN. Pulling resistance of HMP is 1800kN
when the pile top displacement is 20 . It is the amounts of the displacement of about 10% of the
diameter of HMP. When pulled when the paling is pushed, the inclination of stress-displacement is
equal. The relation between skin friction stress and the amount of relative displacement at the time of
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Fujita Corporation

IWM 5th 2002 In Venice

Session V
In-situ Load Test of High Capacity Micropiles foundation on mountain ground

pulling out is shown in Figure7. Skin friction stress increases in - section and - section
while the amount of relative displacement is large, and skin friction stress has decreased in -
section and - section when it is pulling yield bearing capacity in Figure7. It is understood that
the bearing capacity has moved from the upper part of bond of HMP to pile toe when the paling is
pulled out.

Table2 The diameter of the HMP toe

Measurement position
(Distance from HMP toe)cm
(Grout & Deformed bar)
(24cm)
(Pipe&Grout & Deformed bar)
(3.5m)
(Pipe&Grout & Deformed bar)
(4m)

Surroun
dings
(cm)
-----

Diamete
r (cm)

93

29.6

94

29.9

24

Photograph1 Constructed HMP toe

4.3Alternating Lateral Loading Test & Alternating Lateral Loading Test for a couple of batter piles

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Fujita Corporation

IWM 5th 2002 In Venice

Session V
In-situ Load Test of High Capacity Micropiles foundation on mountain ground

Result of alternating lateral loading test and

1800

batter piles is shown in Figure8. In the model

1600

Vertical pile

test (batter pile angle was 15) of last year, if

1400

Batter piles 10

the number of the pile is the same, it is

confirmed that the batter piles have about three
times the horizontal bearing capacity than the
vertical piles. It is confirmed that the batter
piles have about eight times the horizontal
bearing capacity than the vertical piles though
the batter pile angle is 10 in this test.

Lateral load(kN)

alternating lateral loading test for a couple of

1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
0

50 100 150 200 250 300

Horizontal displacement

Fig.8 Lateral load-Horizontal displacement

4.4 Confirmation by watching constructed HMP

The diameter of the HMP of 24 is confirmed in the pile toe. On the other hand, the diameter of
the HMP of about 30cm was confirmed in the bond part, which included the steel pipe (Table2 and
photograph1 reference). These values are larger than dug diameter (205 ). It is thought that the
extension of the dug hole was secured by the pressed grouting.
5. Conclusions
The following have been understood from this in-site load test.
1) It was confirmed to be able to construct HMP, and to have enough bearing capacity in the
bedrock.
2) It is understood that the bearing capacity has moved from the upper part of bond of HMP to pile
toe.
3) End bearing capacity of HMP was confirmed in the bedrock ground.
4) The horizontal bearing capacity of batter pile is larger than the vertical pile.
5) The bond of HMP was surely constructed by watching in the bedrock ground.

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