The accurate prediction of the lateral load deflection response of piles is highly dependent on the proper modeling of the lateral soil stiffness. Recent papers have presented models that incorporate data obtained from the Marchetti dilatometer (DMT) to develop p-y curves. As the DMT data are normally obtained at 8-in. depth intervals, these models provide a nearly continuous profile of lateral soil response. This paper presents a comparison of performance predictions made using three of these models with the measured response of two 24-in.-square, 25-ft-long, prestressed concrete piles in sand. The test piles were jetted the first 12 ft and driven the remaining 13 ft into the coastal plain deposits of eastern North Carolina. The measured load-deflection response of the two piles was very similar, and although none of the models that were investigated explicitly permits the consideration of installation effects, the measured response was found to be intermediate between that predicted by a model developed for driven piles and that predicted by a model applied to drilled piers.
Abstract