SALLOP: Simple Approach for Lateral Loads on Piles

The problem of a pile subjected to lateral loading is often solved by assuming that the pile is an elastic member and that the soil can be represented by a series of nonlinear horizontal springs. The P-y curves describe the nonlinear behavior of the soil springs. Previously, a method was developed at Texas A&M University to obtain the P-y curve directly from the pressuremeter curve. This method gave good predictions but was complicated and time consuming. Simple approach for lateral load on piles (SALLOP) is a simplification of the complicated method; it makes use of the pressuremeter limit pressure and the pressuremeter modulus. It is a semitheoretical or semiempirical method in that the framework is theoretical but the factors in the theoretical equations are adjusted by comparison to 20 full-scale load tests. The accuracy of SALLOP is very reasonable as shown by comparing measured and predicted behavior for the 20 full-scale pile load tests used to develop the method.