Over the past decade, the feasibility of using UHPC in foundation piles has been successfully explored. Recent efforts have resulted in significant interest toward implementation of UHPC piles in various states. However, work is still needed to advance the efficacy of designing and constructing a bridge foundation using UHPC piles. Given that the H-shaped tapered UHPC pile is a newly developed concept, adequate guidelines for estimating the geotechnical capacity (skin friction + end bearing) are not available. The advancement of UHPC also permits the possibility of prefabricating hollow piles with omni-directional properties. In marine environment and river beds, UHPC can out perform steel and concrete piles from a durability view point. However, little data is available that demonstrate superior performance of UHPC piles. Lastly, there is a necessity to generate and utilize an adequate geotechnical database in order to develop a more suitable LRFD method for the UHPC piles, thereby improving design efficiency.

Establish standard UHPC piles and improve their design efficiency through the development of a suitable geotechnical design method with corresponding resistance factors.

UHPC piles should be optimized and they should be driven at test sites with different soil profiles to verify their driving performance of the piles and establish the corresponding geotechnical resistance factors. When installed in river beds and marine environments, their durability performance should be evaluated. The installed UHPC piles should be load tested vertically and laterally to verify the vertical load capacity and the displacement ductility of the piles under lateral load, respectively, in different types of soils. A driven UHPC pile should also be excavated after driving to inspect the pile for any damage, particularly to examine the pile tip if it is driven into bedrock. Battered UHPC piles should also be installed in the field to study their drivability and performance. The geotechnical design of UHPC piles should be developed by using instrumentation during construction to determine whether UHPC piles are better classified as displacement piles or non-displacement piles. The following tasks are envisioned to accomplish this scope: 1. Develop different pile section designs 2. Drive vertical and battered piles in varying soil conditions / depths to assess driving performance 3. Collect and analyze PDA data and establish preliminary resistant factors through reliability analyses 4. Perform axial load tests on selected UHPC piles to verify their design strengths 5. Excavate driven piles to assess the condition of the pile after driving, particularly if driven through hard soils and into rock 6. Finalize the resistance factors and formulate design recommendations

Desired total commitment from each partner is $50,000 split between FY22-24. This can be accomplished through two years at $25,000, one year at $50,000 or any other combination. Commitment covers travel for an in-person meeting once throughout the life of the project. Specific meeting dates and location to be determined during the project. Will be pursuing a 100% SPR Part B waiver. Additional partners are always welcome. Please reach out to the Lead Agency Contact at any time.