A Numerical Analysis Study for Estimation of Ultimate Bearing Capacity and An Analysis of the High Capacity Bi-directional Pile Load Tests of the Large-diameter Drilled Shafts

The high capacity bi-directional pile load test is an optimum pile load test method for high-rised buildings. Especially, a high pressure and double-acting bi-directional pile load testing, a special type of the high capacity bi-directional pile load test, is the most practical way to overcome limitations of loading capacities and constraints of field conditions, which was judged to be a very useful test method for requiring high loading capacities. Total of 2 high capacity bi-directional pile load tests(P-1 and P-2) were conducted in high-rised building sites in Korea. Based on the field load test results, the sufficiency ratio of loading capacities to design loads for P-1 and P-2 were 3.3 and 2.1, respectively. For P-2, the load test could not verify the design load if 1-directional loads applied slightly smaller than the actual applied load. Also, high capacity bi-directional pile load tests were difficult to determine an ultimate state of ground or piles, although the loads were applied until their maximum loads. Hence, finite element analyses were conducted to determine their ultimate states by calibrating and extrapolate with test results.