Effect of ice content and cryogenic structure of frozen ground on the bearing capacity of a pile

Conclusions 1. The limit resistance of piles in permofrost, especially of driven and bored-driven piles, is determined not only by the amount of ice I_C but also by the character of ice distribution in the mass, i.e., by the cryogenic structure.2. Horizontally bedded structures as compared with vertically bedded and cellular, with like content of ice, provide higher bearing capacity of the piles (on an average, by 17%).3. The effect of structure in determining the bearing capacity of a pile may be considered by introducing the structure coefficient K_T into the formula for calculation; the values of this coefficient for horizontally bedded structure have been given in Table 1. For vertically bedded and cellular structures, K_T = 1 is recommended, and for massive soils, K_T = 0.Siberian Branch of the Scientific-Research Institute of Foundations and Underground Structures (SD NII Osnovanii) Osnovaniya, Fundamenty i Mekhanika Gruntov, No. 6, pp. 20–21, November–December, 1976.