3104F.4.7 Batter Piles

Batter piles primarily respond to earthquakes by developing large axial compression or tension forces. Bending moments are generally of secondary importance. Failure in compression may be dictated by the deck-pile connection (most common type), material compression, buckling, or by excessive local shear in deck members adjacent to the batter pile. Failure in tension may be dictated by connection strength or by pile pull out (p. 3-83 of Ferritto et al. [4.7]).

When the controlling failure scenario is reached and the batter pile fails, the computer model shall be adjusted to consist of only the vertical pile acting either as a full or partial moment frame based on the connection details between the pile top and pile cap. The remaining displacement capacity, involving vertical piles, before the secondary failure stage develops, shall then be established (see Section 3107F.2.8).

Axial p-z curves shall be modeled. In compression, displacement capacity should consider the effect of the reduction in pile modulus of elasticity at high loads and the increase in effective length for friction piles. This procedure allows the pile to deform axially before reaching ultimate loads, thereby increasing the displacement ductility [4.7].

Horizontal nonlinear p-y springs are only applied to batter piles with significant embedment, such as for land-side batter piles in a wharf structure. Moment fixity can be assumed for batter piles that extend well above the ground such as waterside batter piles in a wharf structure or batter piles in a pier type structure.