The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD) has undertaken the task of optimising its use of dynamic prediction methods for pile axial load capacity. The immediate intention is to replace its current use of the engineering news record formula with a more reliable, yet comparably inexpensive dynamic method. Several alternative dynamic formulas and wave equation analyses are being considered. Through the university of new orleans civil engineering department, LADOTD is studying the ability of each method in predicting louisiana load test results. After a replacement method has been selected, field implementation procedures and software will be developed. This paper presents a review of selected literature that has defined the current status of dynamic pile capacity prediction and influenced the direction of the LADOTD project. A description of the various components of the LADOTD project, which was completed in December 1989, is also presented.
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