Pile design fundamentals

This full-day course will help designers and engineers from different backgrounds to gain a wider and deeper understanding of the most important aspects of the design and analysis of piled foundations (single piles and simple pile groups) as a result of axial and lateral loading.

The objective is to discuss systematic but simplified approaches which allow the sound analysis and design of single piles and pile groups under axial (compression and uplift) and lateral loading conditions.  Emphasis is placed on methods that do not require complex software, or which employ sophisticated soil models in which the meaning of the key parameters is unclear.

The following topics will be covered:

• Introduction to fundamental considerations that should be addressed for the designs for single piles and simple pile groups.

• Pile analysis and design for single piles under compression and uplift loading (total and effective stress design).

• Pile analysis and design for single piles under lateral (limit equilibrium and design principles).

• Pile analysis and design for simple pile groups (axial and lateral loading).

• Consideration of pile installation effects on pile performance.

Note: seismic pile design considerations, pile constructability details and pile verification/ testing will not be covered.

Is this course for you?

• Designed for engineers and construction professionals interested in the fundamentals of pile design and analysis.

• Participants should be familiar with fundamental geotechnical and structural pile design and analysis principles to enhance the learning outcome.

• Suitable as a ‘refresher’ for more experienced designers and engineers.

• Suitable as an introduction to those with limited or no experience in the analysis and design of single piles and/ or simple pile groups.

• Design engineers (structural, civil or geotechnical) from junior to senior level, researchers and technical/ engineering professionals from contracting firms, asset owners and/ or government agencies may find the course content relevant for their specific fields.

Learning outcomes

After completion of the course, you’ll able to understand and apply:

• the basic principles of total and effective stress analysis for single piles under axial loading conditions

• the basic principles of lateral pile analysis using limit equilibrium and pile-soil interaction methods

• the basic principles of the analysis of simple pile groups

• how pile installation effects, like pile driving or inadequate pile base cleaning, can influence the pile performance

• the basic requirements of geotechnical site investigation and testing which are required for a meaningful pile design and analysis.

Course format

This highly practical course is presented ‘live’, either face-to-face or online, which allows a close interaction with the presenter.

You’ll cover the most relevant aspects of the analysis and design of single piles and simple pile groups. Example calculations and case studies to demonstrate selected applications of the course content will be discussed and worked through.

Presenter Information

Dr Martin Larisch is an Independent Geotechnical and Civil Engineer (Director of Larisch Consulting Ltd) and a Fellow with Engineering New Zealand. He has been involved in the design, construction and verification of a large number and variety of different ground retention systems for more than 25 years across New Zealand, Australia and Germany.

Prior to starting his own consultancy firm, he held various technical and operational positions for some of the leading geotechnical contracting and consultancy firms in New Zealand, Australia and Europe.

Throughout his professional career (which he started as a carpenter in Germany) he gained in-depth understanding and a holistic perspective of the different life cycle requirements and the risk profile of various retaining walls, deep basement, shafts and temporary excavation systems from feasibility stage to project delivery. He has also been involved in the assessment of defective retention systems and the remediation of such defects.

Martin has published more than 30 technical papers for international journals and conferences, and he was involved in the review and development of various best industry guidelines for deep foundations in New Zealand, Australia and Europe.

He was appointed Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Queensland (Brisbane) from 2014 until 2021 and facilitated numerous lectures and seminars related to ground engineering.

Martin is currently representing the New Zealand Geotechnical Society (NZGS) in Technical Committee TC212 ‘Deep Foundations’ at the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE). He has been a member of the expert panel for the development of NZGS/ SESOC Piling Specification and the NZGS ‘Tiered Retaining Wall’ Practice Note.