Design and Load Testing Program of Large Diameter Open-Ended Piles for a Bridge Construction Project in Louisiana-Paper

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The study evaluated the design and load-test behavior of four bridge foundation piles at the Rigolets Pass Bridge site in Chalmette, Louisiana: three 66-inch open-ended cylinder piles and one 30-inch prestressed concrete pile. Subsurface conditions were characterized using cone penetration tests, borings, and laboratory tests. Strain-gauge instrumentation measured load transfer along the piles, while dynamic, static, and statnamic load tests assessed capacity and setup over time.<br /><br />Back-calculated design parameters were consistent with published ranges. The adhesion factor, α, averaged approximately 0.61, and the effective-stress coefficient, β, averaged 0.22. Both unit side resistance and the design parameters generally increased with depth.<br /><br />All piles showed significant setup—the increase in capacity after driving. This was primarily caused by increasing side resistance; tip resistance remained nearly constant during restrike testing, except for one pile with suspected damage near its base. Statnamic tests consistently indicated higher tip resistance than dynamic tests. For the open-ended piles, the logarithmic setup parameter for side resistance was about 0.23–0.24, compared with 0.28 for the prestressed concrete pile. The findings provide site-specific guidance for estimating pile capacity and setup in Louisiana soils.

Keywords

bridge foundation piles

load test behavior

Rigolets Pass Bridge

Chalmette Louisiana

cone penetration tests

strain-gauge instrumentation

dynamic load tests

statnamic tests

pile setup

side resistance