Question

The site you are investigating in Beaufort, SC, has soft clay deposit overlying a sand deposit. The soft clay deposit ranges from the existing ground surface to a depth of 5 ft, while the sand deposit extends from a depth of 5 ft to a depth of 20 ft. Underlying the sand deposit is the Cooper Marl Formation. The groundwater table is located 2 ft below the ground surface. You have determined that the proposed structure will need to be founded on 12 inch Pre-stress concrete square driven piles installed into the Cooper Marl formation. What pile embedment depth into the Cooper Marl will result in an ultimate pile axial capacity of 100 kips. The undrained shear strength of Cooper Marl is 2750 psf.

Answer 1

Depth of embedment of pile in cooper marl soil is 17.43 ft. and total embedment from the ground surface is 37.43 ft explained below as: