Laterally Loaded Piles for a Vehicular Underpass

Abstract

A case history of the widening of movement joints between two box‐units of a vehicular underpass is presented. The underpass is founded on prestressed concrete piles. During the construction of the embankment fills on both sides of the underpass, the gap of the movement joints between two box‐units was observed to have widened. This is probably due to the lateral movement of the soft soil surrounding the piles of the underpass. Circular slip analysis, bearing capacity computations and site records of excess pore water pressure observations of the piezometers in the soft clay layer, are used to evaluate the tendency for such lateral movements. The amount of widening of the movement joint was measured. With the help of a digital computer, the effects of the phenomenon on the supporting piles were studied. As a solution to the problem, platforms supported on piles were used to prevent overloading of the foundation.