Mansoura University Soil Mechanics & Foundations

Faculty of Engineering 2020-2021

4th Year Civil Sheet No. 1
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------

1- Discuss and explain (with drawings or photos if possible) which of the following statement is true
or false:
A- Piles are structural members made of timber, concrete, steel or other materials which are
used to transmit loads from superstructure to deeper soil strata.
B- Barrettes. A variant of the traditional bored pile with rectangular cross-section. The
rectangular holes are excavated with the use of grabs.
C- Continuous-flight auger (CFA) piles. A proprietary piling system in which the bore is formed
using a flight auger and concrete or grout is pumped in through the hollow stem.
D- Large-displacement piles. All solid driven piles, including precast concrete piles, and steel or
concrete tubes closed at the lower end by a driving shoe or a plug.
E- Small-displacement piles. Driven rolled steel sections such as H-piles and open-ended tubular
piles.
F- End-bearing pile is a pile which transfers most of the load via the tip to the rock or soil layer.
G- Driven (or displacement) piles are generally pre-formed before being, jacked, screwed or
hammered into the ground.
H- Pile casing is a drill pipe that can be left in the ground or withdrawn; it may function as a
bearing structure of the pile by itself or as part of a composite structure. If left in the ground,
it can ensure successful concreting.
I- Dry shaft is a shaft excavation that can be excavated to its designed depth without the need
for slurry or casing.
J- The dry construction method shall be used only at sites where the ground water level and soil
and rock conditions are suitable to permit construction of the shaft in a relatively dry
excavation, and where the sides and bottom of the shaft may be visually inspected by the
Engineer prior to placing the concrete.
K- Negative shaft resistance is the load on pile created by the friction and adhesion forces
between pile shaft and the surrounding soil layer, when the soil settles more than the pile.
L- Continuous Flight Auger (CFA) Piles. Also known as augercast piles, augered cast-in-place
piles (ACIP), auger-pressure grout piles, drilled displacement piles and screw piles
M- Pipe piles can be driven either with a steel plate welded on the bottom (closed-end) as a
displacement pile or open-ended as a non-displacement pile.
N- Structural steel piles are, non displacement piles and have an advantage of high strength to
weight ratio, great bending resistance, ease of splicing for longer lengths and by their nature,
lower rates of soil displacement to affect adjacent areas.
O- Precast concrete piles. Reinforced concrete piles, with or without prestress, cast and then
driven into ground.
P- Inland marine and shallow water applications generally require a floating platform to
support a crane and the related tools necessary for pile driving.
Q- Offshore piledriving is generally in much deeper water depths than inland marine work.
R- Driven piles are not manufactured prior to installation. This affords for visual inspection and
testing to assure compliance with the material standards and specifications prior to
installation.
S- Mini-piles. Small diameter piles which are formed by small drilling rigs with the use of
down-the-hole hammers, rotary or rotary percussive drills and are subsequently grouted.
T- Reinforcement cage consists of main bars parallel with the pile shaft tied together with spiral
stirrups.

-1-
 U- Tremie for underwater concreting is a concreting pipe equipped with watertight joints and a
watertight plug, which opens when underwater concreting is started. During concreting the
lower end of the tremie pipe is submerged in the fresh concrete.
V- Caving occurs in clean sands under water table conditions and Squeezing occurs in soft clay
or highly organic soils, also under water table conditions. To overcome this problem a casing
or drilling fluid such as bentonite slurry can be used.
W- The vertical alignment of a vertical shaft excavation shall not vary from the plan alignment
by more than 1/4 inch per foot (20 mm per meter) of depth. The alignment of a battered shaft
excavation shall not vary by more than 1/2 inch per foot (40 mm per meter) of the distance
along the axis of the shaft from the prescribed batter.
X- Temporary Casing is left in place until concrete has been placed, or casing placed as
protection for workmen or inspector.
Y- Loading test at constant speed is a static loading test where a pile is compressed into the soil
at constant speed while constantly monitoring the compressive force.
2- What are the different between cast-in-place (CIP) piles and cast-in-situ (CIS) piles? Give
examples of CIP and CIS piles.
3- When to Use Deep Foundations? (Choose the right answers) :
A. Upper soils are weak, structural loads are high; Required spread footings are too large
B. Upper Soils are subject to scour or undermining
C. Foundation must penetrate through water
D. Need large uplift capacity
E. Need large lateral load capacity
F. All of the above.

4- The purpose of the Test Pile Program is to: (Choose the right answers)
A. Verify design pile capacity
B. Check the performance of the Contractor’s
C. Proposed driving system
D. Determine Required Driving Resistance
E. Determine Pile Lengths required for production piles
F. All of the above.

5- Two of the most commonly used methods for subsurface drilling are:
a. Hollow Stem, Continuous Flight auger
b. Rotary Wash boring
Draw a schematic diagram to show how each of these methods work.
In each of these methods, explain:
a. How cuttings are brought to the surface
b. Caving and squeezing of borehole is prevented.

6- The Approved Pile Installation Plan may be changed by the Contractor when ____.
A. The hammer breaks B. When approved by the Inspector
C. Whenever desired D. Never- requires Engineer’s approval

7- What are some advantages that driven piles offer over other types of deep foundations such as
drilled shafts?

8- Compare auger cast piles versus drilled shafts with respect to following:
1. typical diameters
2. equipment used to excavate/drill the hole
3. placement of concrete
4. placement of reinforcement
-2-