Volume 30, N. 2, May-August 2007 | DOWNLOAD PDF(5 downloads)
Abstract
Dynamic load test is often used for bearing capacity evaluation of driven pile foundation. It is also reported the successful use of this test in bored piles and caissons. This research is mainly concerned with the adaptation, performance and interpretation of the dynamic load test in circular steel plate aiming at the verification of the bearing capacity of shallow foundations. The dynamic increasing energy test (DIET) was used. The tests were performed at the USP/São Carlos experimental foundation site, which soil profile consists of superficial unsaturated, porous and collapsible soil, and for that reason matric suction’s measurements were made, since it has strong influence on the bearing capacity. It could be verified that it is possible to make use of the dynamic load test to plates, associated with analysis methods based on the stress propagation in bars (wave equation), to infer the plate-soil system bearing capacity. Good adjustments were found from dynamic and static load tests performed in a plate tested in this research field. It was also verified that the plate penetration into the soil caused an important increase in the plate-soil system bearing capacity.
