PileHyp_CSM8

A spreadsheet tool for determining pile settlement and design of single piles to limiting settlement
criteria using the hyperbolic method

USERS MANUAL

J. A. Knappett (2012)

This users manual and its associated spreadsheet (PileHyp_CSM8.xls) accompanies Craigs Soil
Mechnics, 8th Edition (J.A. Knappett & R.F. Craig).
The spreadsheet PileHyp_CSM8 is an implementation of the methodology outlined in: Fleming, W.
G. K. (1992). A new method for single pile settlement prediction and analysis. Gotechnique, 42(3),
411425.

PileHyp_CSM8: Users Manual

1. INTRODUCTION
This manual will explain how to use the spreadsheet analysis tool PileHyp_CSM8.xls to analyse the
load-settlement behaviour of a single pile using the Hyperbolic method (Fleming, 1992). The key
features of the spreadsheet are:

Production of the complete load-settlement curve (which would not be feasible by hand).
Determination of settlement under a given load (analysis of a pile of known dimensions).
Determination of minimum pile length to satisfy a limiting amount of settlement (SLS pile
design).
Determination of the soil parameter Eb from the results of a pile load test (back-analysis).
Automatic production of an A4 output sheet showing pile properties and the load-settlement
curve up to a user-specified amount of settlement.

This manual is structured as follows:

Section 2 The basic structure of both the workbook (PileHyp_CSM8.xls) and its component
worksheets will be described and the principle of operation will be highlighted.
Section 3 This section will demonstrate the key features of the spreadsheet tool through the
application to a worked example (based on the pile described in Example 9.2 of the
main text).

2. PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION
The spreadsheet analysis tool consists of two worksheets. The first, Data input, is the worksheet which
is used to interact with the spreadsheet (Figure 1). There are various cells for inputting the pile and soil
properties required for the Hyperbolic model (see Section 9.4 of the main text). This sheet is also used
to define the type of analysis (i.e. whether s, Lp or Eb is the unknown parameter) and outputs the load
settlement curve. This worksheet may also be printed to serve as an A4 (portrait) calculation sheet
summarising the pile design and performance. The second worksheet, Calculations, performs the
required calculations to determine the components of settlement (sr, rigid pile and se, elastic shortening)
and overall settlement (s = sr + se) for a range of applied loads between Q = 0 and Q = R (characteristic
resistance).
Data input:
In the Project ID section, basic information relating to the project or example being analysed is
inputted, along with details of the user who prepared the calculations for auditing purposes. This
information is not required for analysis, but appears in the header boxes when the output sheet is
printed, and should be included as a matter of course.
The Pile & soil properties section is where all of the information required for calculation is input by
the user. The value of Ep should be set as the Youngs modulus of the pile; to model a rigid pile a very
large value should be input (see worked example in Section 3). The value of Eb can be estimated from
Figure 9.14 in the main text. As outlined in Section 9.4, values of Ms = 0.001 and Ke = 0.4 are typically
suitable in the absence of more detailed information. The values of Qbu and Qsu should be
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PileHyp_CSM8: Users Manual

characteristic values, i.e. calculated with all partial factors (material, action and resistance) =
1.00. A numerical value may be entered (if the pile length is known and fixed); however, for more
general use, formulae should be entered into each cell as a function of the pile length (and/or the shaft
and base diameters Db and Ds).
In the Analysis controls section, the parameters relating to the desired answer are set. If only a load
value (Q) is input then the spreadsheet will determine the overall settlement at this load for the given
pile and soil parameters. If the value of Q depends on other parameters in the worksheet, then an
appropriate formula may be input into this cell. The parameter slim may also be set this may represent
a settlement limit for SLS design (i.e. determination of the minimum pile length required to support Q
without exceeding slim) or the observed settlement at Q in a load test (for back-calculation of the value
of Eb).
In the plot parameters section, the value of smax may be set, representing the maximum value of s which
should be plotted on the load-settlement curve in Output data. The default formula in this cell sets smax
equal to 10% of the pile base diameter (in mm).
Calculations:
This worksheet is protected so that none of the cells are editable by the user. This is to prevent
accidental over-typing of formulae which may affect the functionality of the spreadsheet. However, the
protection is not password protected, and so may be removed (Tools > Protection > Unprotect Sheet
in Microsoft Excel) if users wish to investigate the calculation procedures used.

Figure 1: Workbook structure

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PileHyp_CSM8: Users Manual

3. WORKED EXAMPLE
To illustrate the different ways in which the spreadsheet can be used in pile analysis and design, the
pile described in Example 9.2 (see Figure 2) is considered as a worked example. The following cases
will be considered:
A. The pile is constructed to a length of 32.8 m (determined from ULS considerations); using an
estimated value of Eb, the settlement will be found under the applied working load of Q = 3MN,
assuming the pile to be rigid (example of pile analysis).
B. The minimum length of the pile is determined if the limiting settlement is 20 mm under an
applied load of Q = 3MN (example of SLS pile design).
C. The pile is constructed to a length of 32.8 m (concrete stiffness Ep = 30 GPa considered) and a
load test is conducted under the working load, giving a settlement of 4.7 mm at Q = 3MN; the
value of Eb for the soil will be back-calculated to give this observed performance

Figure 2: Worked example (pile from Example 9.2)

Case A Analysis
From Example 9.2, Ds = Db = 0.75 m. The pile is to be analysed based on the design length from ULS
considerations (i.e. Lp = 32.8 m), and to model a rigid pile Ep = 5 1027 GPa is set (as in Example 9.3).
There is no region of negligible shaft transfer so L0 = 0. Default values of Ms = 0.001 and Ke = 0.4 are
assumed. Eb is initially estimated as 25 MPa from Figure 9.14 (stiff to very stiff clay). The
characteristic values of Qbu and Qsu are determined in terms of Lp as outlined in Example 9.2(b), with
all partial factors = 1.00 giving:
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PileHyp_CSM8: Users Manual

Qbu =

c
A p s c N c u
cu

layer 2

0.75 2

layer1

cu

cu

D0 L p
Rs

cu

cu

D0 (L p 15)
Rs

Rb

Q su

Q su

+ L p

200
9.0
+ 20 L p
1
.
00

= 795 + 8.8 L p (kN )

1.00

100

1.00

0.75 15 0.62
=

1.00

0.75 (L p 15) 0.35

= 2191 kN

200

1.00

1.00

= 165 L p 2474 (kN )

Therefore the formulae Qbu = 795 + 8.8Lp and Qsu = 165Lp 283 are entered into the appropriate cells
in the data input sheet (cells F9 and F10 respectively).
The applied load Q is also a function of Lp from Example 9.2(b). With all partial factors = 1.00:

0.75 2
Q = 3000 +
24 L p = 3000 + 10.6 L p (kN )

This formula is entered into cell C21, giving a settlement s = 1.36 mm in cell F21. The resulting load
settlement curve for the pile is shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Load-settlement behaviour, case A

PileHyp_CSM8: Users Manual

Case B SLS design

Starting with the workbook from Case A, slim is set to 20 mm. All other parameters remain the same.
To find the value of Lp at which s = slim, the Solver tool is used. This is an add-in which is included
with Microsoft Excel and may be found from Tools > Solver (if this does not appear in the Tools
menu, it must be activated by going to Tools > Add ins, selecting the Solver Add-in from the list
which appears and clicking ok. It will then appear in the Tools menu). By clicking on Solver, a popup window will appear for defining the analysis, as shown in Figure 4.
Cell F25 contains the error () between the calculated value of s and the desired value of slim. This
cell must be set to the minimum value, by changing the value of cell C10 (Lp) subject to the constraint
of Lp being positive. These criteria are shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4: Use of solver to find minimum Lp for SLS-based pile design

By then clicking the Solve button, the spreadsheet will determine the value of Lp which makes s = slim
(i.e. the = 0), assuming that a valid solution exists. Clicking ok to keep the solution found by
Solver, the value in cell C10 is now the value of Lp required so that under the 3MN applied load, s = 20
mm, i.e. Lp = 19.5 m. As this is lower than the required length to meet ULS requirements, it is the ULS
which governs the design of the pile in this case.

Case C Back calculation of soil parameters (Eb)

The value of Eb that must have existed in the load test to give the observed behaviour in the load test
may also be found using Solver (as in Case B). Starting from the workbook for Example A, the
compressibility of the pile is to be considered, i.e. Ep is now set to 30 GPa. As 3MN was applied to the
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PileHyp_CSM8: Users Manual

pile in the load test, this cell is unaltered. The value of slim is now set as the value of settlement
observed at this load during the load test (slim = 4.7 mm). Cell F25 (containing ) must then be
minimised as before, this time by changing the value of cell C16 (Eb) subject to the constraint of Eb
being positive. These criteria are shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5: Use of solver to back-calculate Eb from a pile load test

By then clicking the Solve button, the spreadsheet will determine the value of Eb which makes s = slim
(i.e. the = 0), assuming that a valid solution exists. Clicking ok to keep the solution found by
Solver, the value in cell C16 is now the value of Eb that must have existed so that under the 3MN
applied load in the test, s = 4.7 mm, i.e. Eb = 11.5 MPa. The revised load-settlement behaviour of the
pile based on the information form the load test (i.e. using Eb = 11.5 MPa) is compared to the original
prediction using the estimated value of Eb = 25 MPa in Figure 6.

PileHyp_CSM8: Users Manual

Figure 6: Comparison of load settlement behaviour, cases A (estimated Eb)

and B (back-calculated Eb)

REFERENCES
Fleming, W. G. K. (1992). A new method for single pile settlement prediction and analysis.
Gotechnique, 42(3), 411425.