Pile foundations subjected to vertical loading

The design of pile foundation involves a number of stages, including the following: The selection of the type of pile and the method of installation. The determination of the size of the piles and the number of piles in order to ensure an adequate factor of safety against failure of the supporting soil and of the pile material. The estimation of the setteement of the foundation, and the differential settlement between adjacent foundations, under working loads, to check that such settlements can be tolerated by the structure. The consideration of the effects of any lateral loads which may be transferred from the structure to the foundation, and in particular, the estimation of the lateral deflection of the foundation due to such loads. The evaluation of pile performance from pile loading tests and extrapolation from these tests to predict the performance of the actual foundation.