Piled foundations in weak rocks

Piling in weak rocks presents particular challenges for the foundation designer and piling specialist, not least because of the difficulty of investigating and testing these intermediate geomaterials. There is a lack of understanding of their behaviour, especially of their deformability and changes in their properties during pile installation. As a consequence, design methods may be over-conservative and assessments of design parameters too pessimistic. This book summarises the knowledge and practice known at the time of writing. It provides a definition of weak rock, and considers the nature of the material and the best ways of investigating, characterising and classifying weak rock for the purpose of pile design. Recommendations are given for improving practice and the economy through appropriate geotechnical modelling, pile selection, pile design and procurement. Of these recommendations, the need for improved communications between the structural designer, pile designer and piling contractor is particularly emphasised. There are also some useful suggestions about directions for future research. This guide will be a valuable reference for geotechnical and structural engineers working in investigation, design and construction and research.