Behavior, Design, And Observations of Wood Piles Used In Coastal Residential Construction

Two sizeable structural analysis studies were performed on wood piles used in residential construction. One study was centered on buckling prediction and effective length calculations, and the other on the prediction of maximum below-ground shear forces and bending moments given known shear forces, axial forces and bending moments at ground level. Both studies invoked the p-y curves for loose medium and dense sands, and the outcome was a modification and improvement of current design procedures. In addition, observations of pile behavior were made from recent Hurricane Ike.