ABSTRACT

Pile load tests are a standard procedure for the verification of pile load-displacement behavior. The methods used are the static load test (SLT), the dynamic load test (DLT) and the rapid load test (RLT). The tests vary in terms of the dimensionless wavelength Nw = (Tf × cp)/L in which Tf is the loading duration, cp is the pile wave velocity and L is the pile length. Nw < 10 for the DLT, 10 < Nw < 1000 for RLT and Nw > 1000 for the SLT (Hölscher et al., 2008). Although the SLT is the most reliable method, it is often too expensive and time consuming to apply routinely. The RLT is increasingly used because it is better in terms of execution, elaboration and quality assurance than the DLT (Middendorp et al., 1992) and is more suitable for use in offshore foundation engineering than the SLT.