Automation of Pile Foundation Design Post-Processing to Produce Pile Plans-Paper

Paper

Pdf Summary

The paper presents an automated post-processing tool for pile foundation design using Cone Penetration Test (CPT) data in accordance with the Dutch standard NEN 9997-1:2017. Conventional design often requires substantial manual effort to group CPTs into zones and select pile-tip levels. To save time, designers may instead use conservative correlation factors and the maximum site-wide pile load, often producing oversized or unnecessarily long piles.<br /><br />The tool combines CPT locations and calculated bearing capacities with pile locations, design loads, and a user-defined number of neighbouring CPTs. It forms zones, assesses whether CPTs can be grouped based on capacity variability, applies the relevant correlation factors, and identifies the shallowest feasible pile-tip level for each zone.<br /><br />Two case studies compared tool results with conventional designs. In the first, using actual loads across the site, pile tips were shallower in all but one zone, with an estimated total pile-length reduction of about 950 m. In the second, the maximum global load was used throughout to isolate the effect of grouping; tips were again shallower in all but one zone, reducing total pile length by about 1,500 m. The results indicate that using relevant CPTs and, where appropriate, grouping them can reduce conservatism and improve design efficiency.<br /><br />The tool can accommodate changing loads and supports rapid assessment of different zoning options. However, its output is theoretical and may produce a complex plan with multiple pile-tip levels. Engineers should review and adapt the plan with construction teams, since a simpler solution may be more practical or economical. Future developments could simplify plans, incorporate load–settlement relationships, and extend the tool to other countries.

Keywords

pile foundation design

Cone Penetration Test

CPT data

post-processing tool

NEN 9997-1:2017

pile-tip level

bearing capacity

zone grouping

design loads

correlation factors