Interpretation of lateral Statnamic load test results

The Statnamic device has been used to test piles in the lateral direction. This paper describes a dynamic analysis approach for the prediction of the static lateral behavior of piles using the results of the Statnamic lateral test. The objectives of this analysis are twofold: to simulate the pile head displacement-time history observed during the test using the measured load time history at the pile head and varying the soil parameters along the pile shaft until a satisfactory match is achieved and to predict the static lateral load-deflection curve of the pile using the soil parameters established through the matching process. The dynamic analysis was used to analyze some Statnamic lateral tests, and satisfactory agreement between the computed and measured displacement-time histories was achieved. The predictions of the proposed approach in the given case studies were in good agreement with the static lateral load test results. The results obtained thus far suggest that the Statnamic lateral test and the described model are successful in the prediction of the lateral load-deflection behavior of piles. Both the Statnamic lateral test and the one-dimensional analysis are simple, fast, and inexpensive, and the approach promises to be very useful in the prediction of the lateral load-deflection behavior of foundations.