THE ASSESSMENT OF CHARACTERISTIC PILE RESISTANCE IN LIMIT STATE DESIGN

In limit state design of pile foundations based on the 'European forma t', it is necessary to assess the characteristic pile resistance. Howe ver, the determination of characteristic pile resistance in accordance with its statistical definition can be problematic. In a design scena rio, an engineer also has to relate the pile capacity as predicted by a conventional design model to the characteristic pile resistance. To address these problems, a comprehensive database has been compiled and analysed. This exercise demonstrates that it is not necessarily valid or conservative to assume that the pile capacity as predicted by conv entional design models is the characteristic pile resistance. Some of the factors that assist in the assessment of characteristic pile resis tance are identified.