TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY STUDY OF GFRP CONFINED RC DRIVEN PILES - NEW CONSTRUCTION METHODOLOGY

Piles are relatively long and slender members used to transmit foundation loads through soil strata of low bearing capacity to deeper soil or rock strata having a high bearing capacity. They are also used in normal ground conditions to resist heavy uplift forces or in poor soil conditions to resist horizontal loads. Load carrying capacity of GFRP confined and unconfined piles were found out using the dynamic formulae and pile load test. Safe load carrying capacity of piles determined from piles load test was slightly higher than the dynamic formulae. The experimental result also shows that surface roughness of specimen is significantly changes the interface friction angle. The shear strength at the interface increases with the increase in surface roughness of the specimens.