Design of Rigid Shafts in Clay for Lateral Load

Abstract

Using the results of eight field load tests reported in the literature, the ultimate lateral load for rigid shafts in clay is defined as the load corre sponding to a shaft rotation of 2 degrees. This definition is used to develop a new empirical correlation between lateral load and rotation. In‐addition, a new empirical correlation is developed relating the coefficient of ultimate resistance at the groundline to soil shear strength. A proposed new design procedure if formulated which utilizes the new empirical correlations. Comparison of lateral loads predicted by the proposed new design procedure shows excellent agreement with measured lateral loads obtained from field tests.