Section 1808 Pier and Pile Foundations

The following words and terms shall, for the purposes of this section, have the meanings shown herein.

FLEXURAL LENGTH. Flexural length is the length of the pile from the first point of zero lateral deflection to the underside of the pile cap or grade beam.

MICROPILES. Micropiles are 12-inch-diameter (305 mm) or less bored, grouted-in-place piles incorporating steel pipe (casing) and/or steel reinforcement.

PIER FOUNDATIONS. Pier foundations consist of isolated masonry or cast-in-place concrete structural elements extending into firm materials. Piers are relatively short in comparison to their width, with lengths less than or equal to 12 times the least horizontal dimension of the pier. Piers derive their load-carrying capacity through skin friction, through end bearing, or a combination of both.


PILE FOUNDATIONS. Pile foundations consist of concrete, wood or steel structural elements either driven into the ground or cast in place. Piles are relatively slender in comparison to their length, with lengths exceeding 12 times the least horizontal dimension. Piles derive their load-carrying capacity through skin friction, end bearing or a combination of both.

Piles are permitted to be designed in accordance with provisions for piers in Section 1808 and Sections 1812.3 through 1812.10 where either of the following conditions exists, subject to the approval of the code enforcement official:

1. Group R-3 and U occupancies not exceeding two stories of light-frame construction, or
2. Where the surrounding foundation materials furnish adequate lateral support for the pile.

Pier and pile foundations shall be designed and installed on the basis of a foundation investigation as defined in Section 1802, unless sufficient data upon which to base the design and installation is available.

1. Recommended pier or pile types and installed capacities.
2. Recommended center-to-center spacing of piers or piles.
3. Driving criteria.
4. Installation procedures.
5. Field inspection and reporting procedures (to include procedures for verification of the installed bearing capacity where required).
6. Pier or pile load test requirements.
7. Durability of pier or pile materials.
8. Designation of bearing stratum or strata.
9. Reductions for group action, where necessary.

The use of types of piles not specifically mentioned herein is permitted, subject to the approval of the code enforcement official, upon the submission of acceptable test data, calculations and other information relating to the structural properties and load capacity of such piles. The allowable stresses shall not in any case exceed the limitations specified herein.

Pile caps shall be of reinforced concrete, and shall include all elements to which piles are connected, including grade beams and mats. The soil immediately below the pile cap shall not be considered as carrying any vertical load. The tops of piles shall be embedded not less than 3 inches (76 mm) into pile caps and the caps shall extend at least 4 inches (102 mm) beyond the edges of piles. The tops of piles shall be cut back to sound material before capping.

Piers or piles shall be braced to provide lateral stability in all directions. Three or more piles connected by a rigid cap shall be considered braced, provided that the piles are located in radial directions from the centroid of the group not less than 60 degrees (1 rad) apart. A two-pile group in a rigid cap shall be considered to be braced along the axis connecting the two piles. Methods used to brace piers or piles shall be subject to the approval of the code enforcement official.

Piers or piles shall be installed in such a manner and sequence as to prevent distortion or damage that may adversely affect the structural integrity of piles being installed or already in place.

Splices shall be constructed so as to provide and maintain true alignment and position of the component parts of the pier or pile during installation and subsequent thereto and shall be of adequate strength to transmit the vertical and lateral loads and moments occurring at the location of the splice during driving and under service loading. Splices shall develop not less than 50 percent of the least capacity of the pier or pile in bending. In addition, splices occurring in the upper 10 feet (3048 mm) of the embedded portion of the pier or pile shall be capable of resisting at allowable working stresses the moment and shear that would result from an assumed eccentricity of the pier or pile load of 3 inches (76 mm), or the pier or pile shall be braced in accordance with Section 1808.2.5 to other piers or piles that do not have splices in the upper 10 feet (3048 mm) of embedment.

The allowable axial and lateral loads on piers or piles shall be determined by an approved formula, load tests or method of analysis.

The allowable compressive load on any pile where determined by the application of an approved driving formula shall not exceed 40 tons (356 kN). For allowable loads above 40 tons (356 kN), the wave equation method of analysis shall be used to estimate pile driveability of both driving stresses and net displacement per blow at the ultimate load. Allowable loads shall be verified by load tests in accordance with Section 1808.2.8.3. The formula or wave equation load shall be determined for gravity-drop or power-actuated hammers and the hammer energy used shall be the maximum consistent with the size, strength and weight of the driven piles. The use of a follower is permitted only with the approval of the code enforcement official. The introduction of fresh hammer cushion or pile cushion material just prior to final penetration is not permitted.

Where design compressive loads per pier or pile are greater than those permitted by Section 1808.2.10 or where the design load for any pier or pile foundation is in doubt, control test piers or piles shall be tested in accordance with ASTM D 1143 or ASTM D 4945. At least one pier or pile shall be test loaded in each area of uniform subsoil conditions. Where required by the code enforcement official, additional piers or piles shall be load tested where necessary to establish the safe design capacity. The resulting allowable loads shall not be more than one-half of the ultimate axial load capacity of the test pier or pile as assessed by one of the published methods listed in Section 1808.2.8.3.1 with consideration for the test type, duration and subsoil. The ultimate axial load capacity shall be determined by a registered design professional with consideration given to tolerable total and differential settlements at design load in accordance with Section 1808.2.12. In subsequent installation of the balance of foundation piles, all piles shall be deemed to have a supporting capacity equal to the control pile where such piles are of the same type, size and relative length as the test pile; are installed using the same or comparable methods and equipment as the test pile; are installed in similar subsoil conditions as the test pile; and, for driven piles, where the rate of penetration (e.g., net displacement per blow) of such piles is equal to or less than that of the test pile driven with the same hammer through a comparable driving distance.

It shall be permitted to evaluate pile load tests with any of the following methods:

1. Davisson Offset Limit.
2. Brinch-Hansen 90% Criterion.
3. Butler-Hoy Criterion.
4. Other methods approved by the code enforcement official.

The assumed frictional resistance developed by any pier or uncased cast-in-place pile shall not exceed one-sixth of the bearing value of the soil material at minimum depth as set forth in Table 1804.2, up to a maximum of 500 psf (24 kPa), unless a greater value is allowed by the code enforcement official after a soil investigation, as specified in Section 1802, is submitted or a greater value is substantiated by a load test in accordance with Section 1808.2.8.3. Frictional resistance and bearing resistance shall not be assumed to act simultaneously unless recommended by a soil investigation as specified in Section 1802.

Where required by the design, the uplift capacity of a single pier or pile shall be determined by an approved method of analysis based on a minimum factor of safety of three or by load tests conducted in accordance with ASTM D 3689. The maximum allowable uplift load shall not exceed the ultimate load capacity as determined in Section 1808.2.8.3 divided by a factor of safety of two. For pile groups subjected to uplift, the allowable working uplift load for the group shall be the lesser of:

1. The proposed individual pile uplift working load times the number of piles in the group.
2. Two-thirds of the effective weight of the pile group and the soil contained within a block defined by the perimeter of the group and the length of the pile.

Piers, individual piles and groups of piles shall develop ultimate load capacities of at least twice the design working loads in the designated load-bearing layers. Analysis shall show that no soil layer underlying the designated load-bearing layers causes the load-bearing capacity safety factor to be less than two.

The load-bearing capacity of piers or piles discovered to have a sharp or sweeping bend shall be determined by an approved method of analysis or by load testing a representative pier or pile.

The maximum compressive load on any pier or pile due to mislocation shall not exceed 110 percent of the allowable design load.

Any soil other than fluid soil shall be deemed to afford sufficient lateral support to the pier or pile to prevent buckling and to permit the design of the pier or pile in accordance with accepted engineering practice and the applicable provisions of this code.

Piles standing unbraced in air, water or in fluid soils shall be designed as columns in accordance with the provisions of this code. Such piles driven into firm ground can be considered fixed and laterally supported at 5 feet (1524 mm) below the ground surface and in soft material at 10 feet (3048 mm) below the ground surface unless otherwise prescribed by the code enforcement official after a foundation investigation by an approved agency.

Where required by the design, the lateral load capacity of a pier, a single pile or a pile group shall be determined by an approved method of analysis or by lateral load tests to at least twice the proposed design working load. The resulting allowable load shall not be more than one-half of that test load that produces a gross lateral movement of 1 inch (25 mm) at the ground surface.