Alternative Systems and Materials for Splicing Prestressed-Precast Concrete Piles

Abstract

The use of piles is a common method for establishing deep foundations for bridges where there is a top layer of weak soil. Among various types of pile and installation methods, driving prestressed-precast concrete piles (PPCP) is a durable and economical option compared with the alternatives. Also, since the method employs pile segments prefabricated in precast plants and delivered to the site for installation, it conforms to the principles of Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) and provides a rapid alternative to other methods. However, often because of limitations on shipping and transportation, the length of precast prestressed pile segments that can be delivered to the bridge site has to be reduced. Also, headroom limitations for pile driving may limit the length of pile segments such that establishing adequate resistance may not be achieved with one segment. Therefore, splicing of pile segments has to be performed at the site to produce longer lengths. A study carried out as part of research activities at the Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center (ABC-UTC) at Florida International University has reviewed various types of available pile splices and attempted to build on the experiences gathered for ABC connections to introduce an alternative configuration for splicing PPCP segments. Accordingly, a variation of grouted bar splice was introduced and designed to provide PPCPs with a time-effective, economical, and labor-friendly method of splicing. The proposed connection is completely new for connecting PPCP segments. Because many of PPCPs are driven in a marine environment, the application of corrosion-resistant material at the splice system is also emphasized. The paper summarizes these investigations. The results of this study show that the newly developed systems can provide the required strength in bending, tension, and compression with smaller sizes and numbers of bars. It also makes the installation faster and easier compared with the current methods.

Keywords

infrastructure structures concrete bridges connections piles

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Liu

T. C.-Y.

Prestressed Concrete Piling-Contemporary Design Practice and Recommendations. Journal Proceedings, Vol. 67, No. 3, 1970, pp. 201–220.

Bruce

R. N.

Jr. Hebert

D. C.

Splicing of Precast Prestressed Concrete Piles: Part 1—Review and Performance of Splices. PCI Journal, Vol. 19, No. 5, 1974, pp. 70–97.

Bruce

R. N.

Jr Hebert

D. C.

Splicing of Precast Prestressed Concrete Piles: Part 2—Tests and Analysis of Cement-Dowel Splice. PCI Journal, Vol. 19, No. 6, 1974, pp. 40–66.

Tadros

M. K.

Hanna

K. E.

Patzlaff

Q. G.

Continuously Prestressed Concrete Pile Splice. United States Patent Application Publication U.S. US2011/0002744, 2011.

Cousins

T. E.

Brown

D. A.

Drake

D. F.

Design and Performance Evaluation of the Cement-Dowel Method of Splicing Prestressed Concrete Piles. Report/Paper Numbers: IR-95-01. Auburn University, AL, 1995.

Mullins

Johnson

Sen

Post-Tensioned Splice System for Precast, Prestressed Concrete Piles: Part 1, Conceptual Design. PCI Journal, Vol. 63, No. 1, 2018, pp. 26–39.

Mullins

Johnson

Sen

Post-Tensioned Splice System for Precast, Prestressed Concrete Piles: Part 2, Field Implementation and Driving Spliced Pile. PCI Journal, Vol. 63, No. 3, 2018, pp. 28–40.

Johnson

Mullins

Sen

Post-Tensioned Splice System For Precast, Prestressed Concrete Piles: Part 3, Capacity Verification from Laboratory and Full-Scale Testing. PCI Journal, Vol. 63, No. 5, 2018, pp. 19–35.

Farhangdoust

Mehrabi

Nolan

Design of Prestressed Precast Pile Splice Using Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Dowels. Engineering Structures, Vol. 244, 2021, p.112806.

10.

Dolati

S. S. K.

Mehrabi

Review of Available Systems and Materials for Splicing Prestressed-Precast Concrete Piles. Structures, Vol. 30, 2021, pp. 850–865.

11.

Iskander

FRP Composite Piling Practice. Proc., Soil Rock America 2003, XII Panamerican Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, Verlag Glückerei GmbH, Essen, Germany, 2003, pp. 1851–1857.

12.

Ohsaki

Corrosion of Steel Piles Driven in Soil Deposits. Soils and Foundations, Vol. 22, No. 3, 1982, pp. 57–76.

13.

Fleming

Weltman

Randolph

Elson

Piling Engineering. CRC Press, 2008.

14.

Mirmiran

Shahawy

Composite Pile: A Successful Drive. Concrete International, Vol. 25, No. 3, 2003, pp. 89–94.

15.

Iskander

M. G.

Hassan

State of the Practice Review in FRP Composite Piling. Journal of Composites for Construction, Vol. 2, No. 3, 1998, pp. 116–120.

16.

Roddenberry

Mtenga

Joshi

Investigation of Carbon Fiber Composite Cables (CFCC) in Prestressed Concrete Piles. No. BDK83-977-17. Florida Department of Transportation, 2014.

17.

Rambo-Roddenberry

Joshi

Fallaha

Herrera

Kampmann

Chipperfield

Mtenga

Construction, Strength, and Driving Performance of Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Prestressed Concrete Piles. PCI Journal, Vol. 61, No. 2, 2016, pp. 24–37.

18.

Mullins

Sen

Sagüés

Winters

Morton

Fernandez

Johnson

DePianta

Vomacka

Mitchell

Design and Construction of Precast Piles With Stainless Reinforcing Steel. No. BDK-84-977-07. Florida Department of Transportation, 2014.

19.

Mullins

Sen

Investigation and Development of an Effective, Economical and Efficient Concrete Pile Splice. No. BDU79. Florida Department of Transportation, 2015.

20.

Gerwick

B. C.

Jr.

General Report—Prestressed Concrete Piles. Proceedings, 1968, pp. 1–30.

21.

Alley

E. W.

Long Prestressed Piles. Civil Engineering, Vol. 40, No. 4, 1970, p. 50.

22.

Venuti

W. J.

Efficient Splicing Technique for Precast Prestressed Concrete Piles. PCI Journal, Vol. 25, No. 5, 1980, pp. 102–124.

23.

Dolati

S. S.

Mehrabi

Review of Available Systems and Materials for Splicing Prestressed-Precast Concrete Piles. In Structures, Vol. 30, 2021, pp. 850–865.

24.

Zhou

X.-P.

Z.-M.

Zhang

Y.-B.

Numerical Study on Girth Weld of Marine Steel Tubular Piles. Applied Ocean Research, Vol. 44, 2014, pp. 112–118.

25.

Culmo

M. P.

Connection Details for Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems. Publication No. FHWA-IF-09-010. Federal Highway Administration, Office of Bridge Technology, 2009.

26.

Worker is Perform Welding for Stock Footage Video. 1480744, Shutterstock [Internet]. https://www.shutterstock.com/video/clip-1480744-worker-perform-welding-piling-pole-work-site. Accessed February 10, 2021.

27.

Chamberlain

Industrial Concrete Products (ICP) Spun Cast Piles in Florida. Proc., Slides for the 2010 FDOT/FTBA Construction Conference, Orlando, FL, 2010.

28.

Effective Post-Tensioned Splicing System for Prestressed Concrete Piles. Graduate theses and dissertations. University of South Florida, Scholar Commons, 2016.

29.

Mehrabi

A. B.

Khedmatgozar Dolati

S. S.

Alternative Materials and Configurations for Prestressed-precast Concrete Pile Splice Connection. ABC-UTC Rep [Internet]. 2021. https://abc-utc.fiu.edu/research-projects/fiu-research-projects/alternative-materials-and-configurations-for-prestressed-precast-concrete-pile-splice-connection/.

30.

Korin

Mechanical Splicer for Precast, Prestressed Concrete Piles. PCI Journal, Vol. 49, No, 2, 2004, pp. 78–85.

31.

Hanna

K. E.

Patzlaff

Morcous

Continuously Prestressed Concrete Pile Splice. United States Patent Application Publication Pub. No.: US 2015/0267373 Al, 2015.

32.

Mehrabi

A. B.

Torrealba

Available ABC Bridges Systems for Short Span Bridges- Course Module [Internet]. 2019. https://abc-utc.fiu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2019/09/Progress-Report-FIU-2016-2-3-August-2019-V1-TO-POST.pdf.

33.

Roddenberry

Servos

Prefabricated/Precast Bridge Elements and Systems (PBES) for Off-System Bridges. No. FSU Project ID 029858. Florida Department of Transportation, 2012.

34.

Culmo

M. P.

Connection Details for Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems. No. FHWA-IF-09-010. Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, McLean, VA, 2009.

35.

Culmo

M. P.

Marsh

Stanton

Mertz

Recommended AASHTO Guide Specifications for ABC Design and Construction. No. NCHRP Project 12-102. The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C., 2018.

36.

Tazarv

Saiidi

M. S.

Seismic Design of Bridge Columns Incorporating Mechanical Bar Splices in Plastic Hinge Regions. Engineering Structures, Vol. 124, 2016, pp. 507–520.

37.

Khedmatgozar Dolati

S. S.

Mehrabi

Review of Mechanical Bar Couplers for Splicing Precast Concrete Members. Scientific Journal of Research & Reviews, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2021, pp. 1–10. https://irispublishers.com/sjrr/fulltext/review-of-mechanical-bar-couplers-for-splicing-precast-concrete-memberss.ID.000551.php

38.

Mechanical Couplers in Market (Nvent) [Internet]. 2020. https://www.nvent.com/us/en/products/concrete-reinforcing-steel-connections.html.

39.

Scholz

D. P.

Wallenfelsz

J. A.

Lijeron

Roberts-Wollmann

C. L.

Recommendations for the Connection Between Full-Depth Precast Bridge Deck Panel Systems and Precast I-Beams. Report No. FHWA/VTRC 07-CR17. Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research, 2007.

40.

Alias

Sapawi

Kusbiantoro

Zubir

M. A.

Abd Rahman

A. B.

Performance of Grouted Splice Sleeve Connector Under Tensile Load. Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Sciences, Vol. 7, 2014, pp. 1096–1102.

41.

AASHTO. AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, 8th ed. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, D.C., 2017.

42.

ACI Committee 318. Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 318–14) and Commentary (ACI 318R–14). American Concrete Institute, Farmingt Hills, MI, 2014, p. 519.

43.

Florida Department of Transportation. FDOT Standard Plans Index 455- Series. FDOT, Tallahassee, FL, 2021.

44.

Florida Department of Transportation. Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction. FDOT, Tallahassee, 2018.

45.

Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute. Calculation of Interaction Diagrams for Precast, Prestressed Concrete Piles. PCI, Chicago, 2015, p. 105. www.pci.org.