Interpretation of Pile Load Tests Results in Clearwater and McMurray Formations, Northern Alberta

Osama Safaqah, Pirahas Balasingam, Mohammad Salim, Alexandre Tchekhovski

In the proceedings of: GeoManitoba 2012: 65th Canadian Geotechnical Conference

Session: M3A - Foundations II

ABSTRACT: A pile load test program was conducted in the Athabasca Region of Northern Alberta to determine the ultimate side shear resistance and end bearing values of cast-in-place (CIP) concrete test piles advanced in the Clearwater clay and McMurray oil sand Formations. The Clearwater Formation comprised consolidated low to high plastic clay shale with pre-sheared weak planes and frequent siltstone stingers. Field and laboratory testing of the Clearwater Formation clay generally indicated stiff to hard consistency. The McMurray Formation generally consisted of very dense fine grained sand with significant amount of fines and clay interlayers. The axial load testing program consisted of seven Osterberg cell (O-cell) tests, with the pile tips located either in the Clearwater Formation clay (4 piles), or in the McMurray Formation oil sand (3 piles). Single-level and double-level O-cell configurations were used to test piles with diameters that ranged from 762 to 1525 mm, and lengths that ranged from 20 m to 47 m. Post-grouting of the pile tip was also attempted on one of the piles embedded in the Clearwater clay. This paper summarizes data from the pile load tests, and provides details of interpretation and extrapolation of the data using a fourth order finite difference polynomial equation to calculate ultimate side shear and end bearing resistance values.

RÉSUMÉ: pour mesurer la résistance en frottement latéral et à la pointe de pieux forés en béton construits dans les argiles de la formation Clearwater et les sables bitumineux de la formation McMurray. La formation Clearwater est constituée de schiste argileux surconsolidé de plasticité faible à élevée renfermant des plans faibles pré-relativement minces de siltstone. Les résultats des essais in-situ et en laboratoire démontrent que les argiles Clearwater sont de consistance ferme à dure. La formation McMurray est généralement constituée de dépôts de sable silteux très Dans le cadre du ont été testés au moyen de cellules Osterberg, la pointe des pieux étant située dans la formation Clearwater (4 pieux) ou dans les sables bitumineux de la formation McMurray (3 pieux). Les cellules Osterberg ont été placées à un ou deux niveaux dans des -dans la formation Clearwater. Cet article résume les données des essais Osterberg et les résultats interprétés de la résistance ultime en frottement latéral et à la pointe de pieux forés en béton de divers diamètres et longueurs dans les formations Clearwater et McMurray.

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Cite this article:
Osama Safaqah; Pirahas Balasingam; Mohammad Salim; Alexandre Tchekhovski (2012) Interpretation of Pile Load Tests Results in Clearwater and McMurray Formations, Northern Alberta in GEO2012. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Geotechnical Society.

@article{Paper180,author = Osama Safaqah; Pirahas Balasingam; Mohammad Salim; Alexandre Tchekhovski,title = Interpretation of Pile Load Tests Results in Clearwater and McMurray Formations, Northern Alberta,year = 2012}