A Study on the Rational Positioning of O-cell Boxes in Three Test Piles considering the Geology of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Received: 4 January 2025 | Revised: 8 February 2025 | Accepted: 21 February 2025 | Online: 25 March 2025
Corresponding author: Lan Vu Hoang Bach
Abstract
The O-cell pile test has more advantages than the traditional loading test because it does not require a cumbersome reaction frame, counterweight, or anchor piling. Therefore, the cost of pile testing is dramatically reduced compared to top-down tests. The most essential aspect of the single-level bidirectional cell test is precisely determining the location of an O-cell box. This paper addresses inaccuracies in placing O-cells in bidirectional loading test results on full-scale, large-dimension, high-capacity barrettes test piles from three different projects in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Detailed analysis shows that the pile toe response is very small, the movement of the upper piles is relatively minor, and the skin friction along the pile segments is not fully mobilized. Research results indicate that the O-cells must be moved up to better predict the ultimate soil pile resistance. Therefore, the condition for placing the O-cell box at the load-balance plane is only a necessary condition. For better placement of the O-cell, the settlement-balance plane may be additionally considered as a sufficient condition and will be researched in future work.
Keywords:
Osterberg pile test, position of O-cell box, pile loading test, modified unified methodDownloads
References
TCVN 10304: 2014. Pipe Nail –Design Standards, Pile Foundation Design Standards. TCVN, 2014.
H. C. Van and T. A. Nguyen, "Numerical Simulation of Pile Design Method that Considers Negative Friction," Civil Engineering and Architecture, vol. 11, no. 5, pp. 2285–2292, Sep. 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.13189/cea.2023.110503
H. C. Van, "A Computer–Based Program for Pile Design with Consideration of Resistance Settlement, and Negative Friction Simultaneusly," GEOMATE Journal, vol. 26, no. 118, pp. 114–121, Jun. 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21660/2024.118.4472
H. C. Van, "Pile Design using the Modified Unified Method combined with Monte Carlo Simulation," Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 14275–14281, Jun. 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.7247
J. Schmertmann, J. Hayes, T. Molnit, and L. Osterberg, "O-cell Testings Case Histories Demonstrate the Importance of Bored Pile (Drilled Shaft) Construction Technique," in 4th Conference of the International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering, Mar. 1988, pp. 1–10.
J. O. Osterberg, "The Osterberg load test method for bored and driven piles the first ten years," in Seventh International Conference and Exhibition on Pilling and Deep Foundations, Vienna, Austria, 1998.
J. H. Schmertmann and J. A. Hayes, "The Osterberg cell and bored pile testing – A symbiosis," in Third International Geotechnical Engineering Conference, Cairo, Egypt, 1997.
A. Ayithi, P. J. Bullock, H. S. Khoo, and G. V. Ramana, "Technical and Economic Benefits of O-cell load testing for deep Foundations in India," in Indian Geotechnical Conference, Roorkee, India, Dec. 2013, pp. 1–9.
H.-J. Kim and J. L. C. Mission, "Improved Evaluation of Equivalent Top-Down Load-Displacement Curve from a Bottom-Up Pile Load Test," Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, vol. 137, no. 6, pp. 568–578, Jun. 2011. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000454
O. S. Kwon, Y. Choi, O. Kwon, and M. M. Kim, "Comparison of the Bidirectional Load Test with the Top-Down Load Test," Transportation Research Record, vol. 1936, no. 1, pp. 108–116, Jan. 2005. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0361198105193600113
P. Dong, X. Wang, and H. Wang, "Study on the position of load box for pile foundation of Qilu Yellow River Approach Bridge," IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, vol. 787, Jun. 2021, Art. no. 012120. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/787/1/012120
Report on Barrette load testing Osterberg Method for Office Building LIM III, Fugro Load Test Asia Pte. Ltd, Nov. 10, 2017.
Report on Barrette load testing Osterberg Method for Pile TN6 - Vincomes Bason. Fugro Load Test Asia Pte. Ltd, 2016.
Report on Barrette load testing Osterberg Method for Landmark Tower. Fugro Load Test Asia Pte. Ltd, 2015.
B. H. Fellenius, Basics of Foundation Design, Electronic Edtition. Vero Beach, FL, USA: Pile Buck International, 2017.
Downloads
How to Cite
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Lan Vu Hoang Bach
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain the copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) after its publication in ETASR with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
