Deep Foundation

Drilled Shafts

Load-Bearing Capacity Based on Settlement

Reese and ONeill (1989) proposed a method to calculate the load-bearing capacity of drilled shafts. The
method is applicable to the following ranges:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Shaft diameter: Ds = 0.52 to 1.2 m

Bell depth: L = 4.7 to 30.5 m
cu = 29 to 287 kN/m2
Standard field penetration resistance: N60 = 5 to 60
Overconsolidation ratio: 2 to 15
Concrete slump: 100 to 225 mm

Reese and ONeills procedure, with reference to Figure 14.37, gives

= +
=1

where
fi = ultimate unit shearing resistance in layer i
p = perimeter of the shaft = Ds
qp = unit point resistance
Ap = area of the base =(4)2

Following are the relationships for determining Qu in cohesive and granular soils.
1

Deep Foundation
Drilled Shafts

Cohesive Soil

= ()
The following values are recommended for :
= 0 for the top 1.5 m and bottom 1 diameter, Ds, of the drilled shaft.
(Note: If > , then = 0 for 1 diameter above the top of the bell and for the
peripheral area of the bell itself.)
= 0.55 elsewhere

(/2 ) = 6 (1 + 0.20
where

) 9 3.83 /2

= average undrained cohesion within 2Db below the base

.
If is large, excessive settlement will occur at the ultimate load per unit area, Thus, for > 1.9 m,
may be replaced by, or

=
where

2.5
1
0.02541 () + 2

1 = 0.0071 + 0.0021 (
2 = 7.787( )0.5

) 0.015

0.5 ( ) 0.015

If the load-bearing capacity at a limited level of settlement is required, then Tables 14.8 and 14.9 may be
used for the procedure described next. The values provided in these tables are based on the average curve
from field observations by Reese and ONeill (1989).
1. Select a value of settlement, Se.
2. Calculate
=1 and .
3. Using Tables 14.8 and 14.9 and the calculated values in step 2, determine the side load and the
end bearing load.
4. The sum of the side load and the end bearing load is the total applied load.

Deep Foundation
Drilled Shafts

Cohesionless Soil

where

= vertical effective stress at the middle of layer

= 1.5 0.2440.5 (0.25 1.2)

= depth of the middle of layer i (m)

More recently, Rollins et al. (2005) have modified Eq. (14.94) for gravelly sands as follows:
For sand with 25 to 50% gravel:
= 2.0 0.150.75 (0.25 1.8)
For sand with more than 50% gravel:
(0.25 3.0)
= 3.4 0.085
where z is in meters (m).
The point bearing capacity is
(/2 ) = 57.560 4.3 /2
where 60 = mean uncorrected standard penetration number within a distance of 2Db below the base
of the drilled shaft.
To control excessive settlement, the magnitude of qp may be modified as follows:
=

1.27

()

( 1.27 )

Deep Foundation
Drilled Shafts

Tables 14.10 and 14.11 may be used to calculate settlement based load-bearing capacity. They are similar
to Tables 14.8 and 14.9 for clay.

Deep Foundation
Drilled Shafts

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Drilled Shafts

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Drilled Shafts

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Drilled Shafts

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Drilled Shafts

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Drilled Shafts

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Drilled Shafts

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