Study on settlement of pile foundation of Sutong Bridge

The settlement behavior of pile foundations is an important index for construction control and design verification especially for bridges built on poor hydrologic and geologic conditions. Settlement calculation methods are appraised firstly. Considering engineering conditions and characteristics of pile foundations of the two main piers in the Sutong Bridge, Improved Equivalent Pier Method (IEPM) is proposed, and its calculation process is given. Take the North Main Pier foundation as an example, settlement calculated with IEPM was assessed to be 120.6 mm. When compared to measured pile settlements, the IEPM had relatively good matches. Two other methods to determine pile settlements were also undertaken and compared. The comparisons indicate that the IEPM was applicable for Sutong Bridge, and could be considered for use in other similar engineering projects.