Case Study on Ground Deformations and Vibrations Induced by Impact Pile Driving in Central Florida

This paper presents a case study detailing a field monitoring program conducted in Central Florida to analyze the effects of impact pile driving in sandy soils in terms of ground deformations and vibrations. The project consisted of a 48.8-m-long precast prestressed concrete pile driven by an impact hammer. A description of the project, the testing program, and pile installation for two consecutive days of driving are presented. The subsurface conditions mainly consisted of the presence of medium-dense poorly graded sands and silty sands with some interbedded clay layers. The instrumentation included geophones and survey stations to measure particle velocities and ground deformations, respectively. Records of force and energy time histories transmitted to the top of the pile using embedded data collectors are also reported. Conclusions are drawn regarding the peak particle velocity values recorded away from the pile as well as the ground deformations in terms of settlement and heave. The location of the tip of the pile and the pile penetration rate were the main triggering factors of ground deformations even when vibration levels were measured below local peak particle velocity limits.