ABSTRACT
When dealing with the design of deep foundations in granular deposits the prediction of their settlements is not straightforward due to the difficulties met in defining the values of the mechanical parameters influencing them. In most cases, in fact, the design is based on the results of penetrometer tests, which provide only approximated mechanical parameters of the granular soil. In addition, the pile settlements depend on the mechanical characteristics of the pile/soil interface that, in turn, are influenced by the adopted construction technology. Being aware of the possible limited accuracy of the computed settlements, load tests are customarily carried out to quantitatively assess the behaviour of the deep foundation under loading.
