APILE is used to compute the axial capacity, as a function of
depth, of a driven pile in clay, sand, or mixed-soil
profiles. Following methods are used for computations of pile
capacity:
American Petroleum Institute (API RP-2A)
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
Revised Lambda Method
The special APILE Offshore version includes four other CPT based methods:
Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI)
Imperial College Pile method
(ICP and also referred as the Marine Technology Directorate
or MTD method)
University of Western Australia
(UWA)
Fugro method
Features
APILE includes the implementation of LRFD
analyses (AASHTO LRFD) so users may specify independent
reduction factors (resistance factors) for skin friction
and end bearing on each soil layer in the model. This
feature may also be useful to implement strength
reductions during pile driving, or for overall pile-group
reduction factor.
Generate a short-term, load-settlement curve for the
modeled pile using nonlinear soil models and elastic
pile material deformation. APILE uses two sets of
internally generated t-z curves (load-transfer in
axial side resistance as function of movement) and
Q-w curve (load-transfer in end bearing as
function of movement) for developing the load-settlement
predictions.
Output the internally-generated nonlinear soil-transfer
curves in skin friction (t-z curves) at any
user-specified depth. This can be useful when the user
needs the curve for input as spring on other models.
Various pile types may be analyzed by APILE: circular
pipe piles, steel shapes, precast concrete piles or also
many FHWA piles of varying sections (tapered piles,
timber piles, or Raymond-type step taper or uniform
taper piles).
Load transfer capacities in side resistance (skin
friction) and end bearing are computed, along with the
total capacity of a pile to sustained axial
loading.
The development of a plug in an open-ended pipe pile as
it is driven is calculated internally in APILE. Users
may select fully plugged, unplugged or internally
calculated for comparison of pile capacities.
Graphics of load-distribution curves, load-settlement
curves, and bearing capacity as a function of depth are
outputted by the program.
APILE has the ability to read cone penetration test
(CPT) data files and convert to equivalent SPT-N values
and equivalent shear strength versus depth.
APILE can perform computations for tensile (uplift)
loading with user-specified reduction factors.
The user may also enter variations of cross-sectional
area as a function of depth, for controlled computations
of elastic deformations.
Output reports in APILE include program and data file information, running date
and clean echo printing of all inputted parameters.
Modeled pile can be vertical or with a batter angle.
APILE calculates load transfers based on pile lengths in
each soil layer and also based on overburden (when
appropriate).
A 3D View feature is available to visualize the pile,
soil stratum and computed load transfers.
The method of Neutral Plane Analysis for Downdrag is
implemented into APILE based on FHWA recommendations.
New AASHTO 2012 to estimate friction angles from SPT values.
