Evaluation of end bearing capacity of drilled shafts in sand by numerical and SPT-based methods

Abstract

Drilled shafts are a common type of pile foundations which are often used as foundations for buildings, bridges and other structures. The end bearing capacity of drilled shafts, which plays an important role in their design particularly in sandy soils, has traditionally been estimated using empirical or semi-empirical methods. With advances in computing power, it is now possible to conduct more realistic analyses. In this paper, at first, the end bearing capacity of drilled shafts in sandy soils is analyzed numerically and validated with the results of pile load test. Then, the numerical results are compared with the results of Standard Penetration Test (SPT)-based methods. The comparison indicated that there is a satisfactory agreement between the results of numerical method proposed in this paper and the results achieved by SPT-based methods.