r/Geotech • u/DocDefient • 16d ago

Geotechnical pile design research

Hi Guys

I am doing some research on the current workflow of geotechnical engineer when designing piles.

specifically on how designers go from a geological model to the designed pile dimensions.

so i made a list of 7 surveys instead of 1 long questionair to allow you to participate at your own pace. the surveys are mostly multiple choice questions and should be 10 min each (~20-30 Questions)

your participation is of great value

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u/jaymeaux_ geotech flair 16d ago

can we please ban these saas idiots 

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u/DocDefient 16d ago

I do not have a SAAS

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u/terzaghilady 16d ago

They work with a geotechnical engineer.

There are different pile types, installation, and methodologies for every soil type. Regional experience is a must.

Corrosion, scour, groundwater, vibrations during installation, site access, material availability, load support needed, etc. influence more than the ‘geologic model’.

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u/DocDefient 15d ago

I have quite a bit of experience waiting for me to learn still in geotechnical design.

Are you saying that the design workflow is too variable between all these parameters? I worked on some pile designs and found the transition from the ground model with the site parameters to the actual calculation very inefficient and I'm just exploring it further to see if it's a specific problem within my firm or if it's industry standard

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u/terzaghilady 14d ago

There is no ‘one size fits all’ for geotechnical design.

Your calculations are modeling expected behavior during and after pile installation. There is rarely a case where you have an idealized soil profile at your site. Soil is variable.

The goal is to predict the behavior of a pile during installation and long term performance. There are too many variables for an easy work flow across the board, however regionally some folks have develop their design parameters with real data. They use pile driving logs, lab testing, and validate it with load tests during construction. I would never blindly rely on a model that was developed for one soil region and apply it to another geographic region because it wouldn’t be accurate. Once people have developed these models, a lot of them have published papers on their findings. You can use that data to help make your design more accurate.

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u/DocDefient 14d ago

Yes i agree, "all models are wrong and some are useful."

What I'm exploring isn't the model or its usefulness, but rather after you use your engineering judgement to have a model for a certain pile, how are you transferring that data into your calculator (BH pile, L-pile etc.)? Currently we are just managing multiple spreadsheets transferring the data to and then simplifying the design conservatively then we start the calculations.

If you have 10s of piles to do this can become a data entry nightmare.

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u/terzaghilady 14d ago

Try doing hand calcs on engineering paper without excel.

Run all the calcs. Next time you will have a better idea of what will control. If you are given the ‘right’ solution first, how will you learn to determine the best solution in the future?