What is Load Bearing Pile Foundation? : 2 Types of Load Bearing Piles ( Friction Pile & End Bearing Pile )

A load  bearing pile is the type of pile foundation that transfers the vertical loads of the structure to the underlying  soil by either an end-bearing mechanism or by frictional mechanism.

  1. Types of Load Bearing Pile  

Based on the load transfer mechanism, the load-bearing pile can be further classified into the following:

Figure: Types of Load Bearing Pile

  a. End Bearing Piles  

✔  The end-bearing piles are driven into the ground such that the bottom end tip of the pile rests at the intermediate layer between weak and strong soil layers.

✔  End-bearing piles act as a column and transfer the load coming from the superstructure to the underlying soil.

✔ The bearing capacity of such a pile can be easily determined by multiplying the area of the bottom tip of the pile and the bearing capacity at that particular depth of soil where it rests.

Then, considering a certain factor of safety, the diameter of the pile can be determined.

  b. Friction Piles  

✔ A friction pile is the type of load-bearing pile that transfers the load to the soil by the friction mechanism between the surface of the pile and the surrounding soil layer.

✔ Friction force can be developed along the entire length of the pile or a certain length of the pile depending upon the strata of the soil.

✔ Unlike, end-bearing piles, in friction piles, the entire pile surface functions to transfer the loads from the superstructure to the soil.

✔ The capacity of friction piles can be determined by multiplying the surface area of the pile by the friction force developed per unit area. A certain factor of safety must be considered while designing friction piles.