ABSTRACT
In this paper a survey report on the design methods for axially loaded single piles and pile groups in Germany is presented, giving an overview of present-day design methods applied in practice and of the factors affecting the bearing capacity of piles. Besides an detailed report concerning the actual German design methods for the different types of piles the application of these methods within the framework of Eurocode 7 by the corresponding German National Application Document is described. The design methods are exemplary illustrated by a static pile load test recently carried out for a bored pile in Berlin. Furtherone a few results of actual research work including numerical studies for the bearing behaviour of pile groups and of Combined Piled-Raft Foundations are presented demonstrating the influence of soil-structure interaction for the bearing behaviour of axially loaded pile groups.
