Quantitative safety prediction of pile foundations

Abstract

A necessity to use probability-based formats in design practice of pile foundations as highly-reliable structures is underlined. The specific features of the bearing capacity of piles in groups and principles of their structural safety prediction are discussed. Probability-based approaches and design equation for structural safety prediction of axially loaded piles in groups exposed to regular and extreme irregular variable actions are presented. The survival probabilities of single piles and pile group blocks are considered. It is shown that the total survival probability of pile foundations may be calculated by the unsophisticated method of transformed conditional probabilities. The numerical example illustrates a merit of the probability-based design of pile foundations and a conditionality of the deterministic method of partial safety factors.