Large Diameter Pipe Piles in the Midwest: A Tale of Two River Valley Bridge Replacements-PPT Presentation

PPT Presentation

Pdf Summary

The presentation examines the use of large-diameter open-ended pipe piles (LDOEPs)—36 inches or larger—for Midwest bridge foundations, focusing on two Missouri River Valley projects.<br /><br />LDOEPs can provide higher axial capacity and buckling resistance than conventional piles, reduce the need for groundline footings, and require less geotechnical exploration than drilled shafts. Challenges include the need for large hammers, possible plugging or pile damage, corrosion, and inability to socket into rock.<br /><br />For the New Champ Clark Bridge, 48-inch piles were selected for approach piers as an alternative to drilled shafts or H-piles. All ten piles were dynamically tested. Results showed adequate resistance and relatively low stresses, though boulder layers made the true rock elevation uncertain. Consistent pile-tip elevations and test data helped resolve that concern. The presentation notes that larger hammers could potentially have demonstrated greater capacity.<br /><br />The second case was the emergency replacement of the US 159 bridge over Little Tarkio Creek after its failure in 2019. Thirty-six-inch piles were driven to shale bedrock. Testing found very little side resistance and unexpectedly high toe stresses—up to 43 ksi, above the anticipated limit. Production piles were driven to refusal, and the completed bridge reopened in May 2020.<br /><br />Key lessons are that boulder layers can be difficult to characterize, and dynamic testing is especially important for non-redundant LDOEP foundations. Testing can help identify damage risk, verify resistance, and support higher design resistance factors.

Keywords

large-diameter open-ended pipe piles

bridge foundations

Missouri River Valley

dynamic testing

axial capacity

buckling resistance

drilled shafts

boulder layers

shale bedrock

pile damage