Analyses of laterally loaded drilled shafts using in situ test results.

To predict the lateral load-displacement response of small-diameter drilled shafts in desiccated clays, a series of in situ tests was performed at a field test site in Massena, New York. These tests included piezocone, flat dilatometer, field vane, and prebored pressuremeter. Four cast-in-place concrete shafts with diameters of 152 and 305 mm and lengths of 1.5 to 3.0 m were installed at the site. Predictions of the lateral load-deformation relationships were made prior to the pile load tests using a finite difference program and results from in situ tests. Comparisons were made between the predicted and the measured response of each drilled shaft. This paper describes the use of in situ tests in the analyses of relatively small and short, laterally loaded drilled shafts in desiccated clays and presents a discussion of the efficacy of the approach.