Empirical and numerical study of the static lateral response of socketed pile in Dubai sedimentary rock

In geotechnical engineering practice, it is often a challenging task to select suitable method for calculation of lateral load capacity of piles. In Dubai (United Arab Emirates), predominantly piles are rock socketed with top layers commonly medium dense to dense sand or Dubai sedimentary rock contributing to bearing lateral loads. In present study, two lateral load field test results on piles were selected and used for evaluating various methods adopted by local geotechnical engineers. The ground lithology for piles selected constitutes medium dense to dense sand for top layers, which is critical in evaluation of lateral capacity of piles. Due to simpler input requirements and quicker calculations, generally, Brom’s method or p-y non-linear analysis are adopted by local geo-engineers for lateral load analysis of piles. With advancement in computing capabilities, geotechnical engineers also adopt numerical analyses. As part of this study, various methods adopted were evaluated in terms of their advantages, limitations, and accuracy in predicting the lateral load behavior of piles. Commonly adopted methodologies like Brom’s method were found to have limitations that underestimate pile capacities resulting in overdesign of pile sizes leading to higher costs, whereas comparatively, numerical approaches predicts more accurately the lateral load behavior of piles.