Representative methods for predicting the bearing capacity of piles driven by vibration are described briefly, and a need to establish pile resistance prediction procedures that are based on soil properties is established. In order to investigate the influence of soilproperties on piles installed by vibration, a large-scale model study was conducted in which piles were driven into a pressure chamber, to simulate in situ stress conditions, and subjected to loading tests. The soil, vibrator, and pile properties were closely controlled.Methods were developed from pile mechanics considerations and the test data (a) to predict pile capacity and (b) to select vibrator characteristics to drive piles of known target capacities. These methods are expressed in the form of simple equations that can be applied by designers having appropriate knowledge of soil, pile, and vibrator conditions. Whereas every attempt was made in the laboratory studyto simulate field conditions, field verification and calibration ofthe capacity prediction methods are necessary before they can be applied in practice. This paper appears in transportation research record no. 1277, Modern geotechnical methods: instrumentation and vibratory hammers 1990.
Abstract