Design of Laterally Loaded Single Piles by Using P-Y Curves and the Cone Penetration Test (CPT) in Sandy Soils

The aim of this paper is to present a simple method of construction of the load-transfer P-Y curves for the design of laterally loaded piles in sand based on the cone penetration test (CPT). The proposed method was developed on the basis of interpretation of 5 field tests on single instrumented piles conducted in sandy sites in France and shows a simple relationship linking the P-Y curve parameters, the cone penetration resistance and the lateral pile/soil stiffness ratio. The validation process was carried out by direct comparison of the predicted load-deflection curves based on the proposed method to those obtained from a worldwide case history of field lateral loading tests on piles and showed a very good quality of the prediction using the proposed method. KEYWORDS: Piles, Lateral load, Sand, Full-scale loading, P-Y curves, CPT test.