Re-evaluation of the method to determine pile damage by the Beta Method

Re-evaluation of the method to determine pile damage using the Beta Method

Auteur(s):	G. Verbeek; G. Goble
Year:	2012
Language:	English
Where:	Proceedings of the IS-Kanazawa, Japan

INTRODUCTION:

In 1979, a paper was published by Rausche and Goble describing a method to determine damage in driven piles using the Beta Method. Over the years this method has become the standard for pile damage assessment in many parts of the world, often without an understanding of that method by those that apply it. Instead, the numerical outcome was seen as a reliable indicator of damage in driven piles. Recently developed technologies have begun to shed a different light on the reliability of this method, suggesting that a thorough assessment of the method derivation would be appropriate.

In this paper, the Beta method will be re-evaluated to assess whether it is a reliable indicator of pile damage. This re-evaluation will cover both the theory behind the method as well as the review of Pile Driving Analysis data collected from a large number of concrete piles. Taken together with the results of this re-evaluation clearly demonstrate that this widely applied method cannot be considered a reliable indicator and should, therefore, be used with extreme care.