I have designed a pile,due to the service load (considering all possible load combination) of 2910 KN.

I m struck in the in its pile cap design.

Before referring the problem which I m facing in the pile cap design I would like to put forward the
design Procedure that I followed for the design of pile to get your (seniors and experts) advises in it are

// No. of piles required //

I have considered the pile dia as d=400 mm and length as 20 m

I have used the following formula for finding the piles numbers as.

Qu=n*[(Ap*Rp) +(As*Rf)] instead of Qu=n*Pi*d*L as ultimately I will have to check for the load safety
of the pile using the formula Qu=n*[(Ap*Rp) +(As*Rf)] so I have use this formula to find the total piles
required.

where

Qu= factored load=2.5*2910 KN

n=number of piles required to find

Rp= N*Cu=9*50 where Cu undrained shear strength at the toe of the pile

As=perimeter or circumference of pile multiplied by length of pile = Pi*d

but in my case the soil strata is divided in to 3 stratum due to varying Cu value,

Hence I have used the varying length of stratum in Rf which is multiplied with varying Cu.

Rf=(L1*Cu1)+(L2*Cu2)+(L3*Cu3)=(5*23)+(5*15)+(10*50)
s=3*dia=1.2 m dia=0.4 m
putting all the values in the above equation I got n=7.87=8 Piles

// Check for invidual action of piles//

Qu=n*[(Ap*Rp) +(As*Rf)]

Qu=8*923.63=7389.04 KN (see above values for the input)

B=3.6 m
// Checking for group action of pile //

Qug=[(Apg*Rpg)+(Asg*Rfg)]

Consider the following arrangement of piles I have considered.

B=3.6 m
Where
Apg=3.6*3.6=12.96 m2

Rpg=N*Cu=9*50=450 KN/m2

Asg=4*3.6=14.4 m

Rfg=(5*23)+(5*15)+(10*50)=690

so Qug=15768 KN

so safe load = minimum of Qug and Qu which is 7389.04 divided by factor of safety i.e 2.5

so safe load = 7389.04/2.5 = 2955.616 > 2910 KN hence Safe.

//Piles Reinforcement design //

Load carried by each piles= 2910/8=363.75 KN

Now L/d ratio of the piles is =20000/400=50 which is greater than 12 hence it will be designed as Long
Column.In order to design the pile as short column I have increase the load by 50% so load=545.625=550
KN

Now when I design the reinforcement considering it to be axially loaded circular column I got the
negative reinforcement so I put the minimum reinforcement required for a pile of 20 m length i.e 2% of
gross area of column.

Asc= (2/100)*(Pi*400*400/4)= 2513.27 mm2

so providing 8 bars of 20 mm Tor with nominal cover of 50 mm.

Lateral ties near toe and head of the pile = 0.6% of gross area = 753.982 mm2

i.e 8tor @ 60 mm c/c for a length of 3*dia=2*400=1200 mm from each edges (toe and head)

Lateral ties in the remaining length of piles (20-(2*1.2))=17.6 m

is 0.2% of gross area=251.33 mm2 so providing 8 Tor c/c

// My problem in designing the PILE CAP //

Even though I have considered the arrangement of piles during the checking for piles safety,
that arrangement is proving to be uneconomic. As the area of pile cap about 3.6*3.6 is itself too
large and the depth is also coming out to be 1570mm + cover of 80 mm (considering the truss
action of column loading) as show in the below fig. Is there any way to reduce the area
requirement and the depth of pile cap?
Column face 300mm
Column size is 300x600

1570 mm

450
80 mm
P P P
i i i
L L L
e e e

400 mm 400 mm
2) Now if I provide beam over all the piles and apply the column load on the beam, the depth
required is coming out to be 900 mm but then the truss action of the pile cap i.e. drawn at 450
from the axis line of column is failing. Is it right to provide beam over piles for load distribution
of column. What should I do in such condition?

3) Can I arrange the column in the following way (as shown in below
fig), ofcource considering the minimum spacing required between
the Piles (s=3dia).In this way I think the truss action of the column
load distribution will be satisfied but I m afraid that this will
concentrate the column load on the middle 4 piles only and the
load carried by each piles will not be equal (unwanted condition).

Please suggest any way out.

If there is any other idea, the it is fully welcome.