Role of Load Tests in Friction Pile Design

In situ measurements of stresses and pore pressures on a model pile shaft, the Piezo‐Lateral Stress (PLS) cell, are combined with theoretical analyses to reconstruct the conditions of a large‐scale pile load test at a site in Empire, LA. Results show that the mode of penetration of open‐ended piles has an important effect on the performance of pile shafts. Pile plugging during driving retards the rates of soil consolidation and the gain in shaft capacity after installation. The Empire experience is used to identify important factors affecting shaft‐soil interaction which require control and/or evaluation during pile load tests. Methods of enhancing the value of pile load test data in the future are recommended.