Installation of Driven Test Piles in Permafrost at Bethel Air Force Station, Alaska.

• Main Author: Crory,Frederick E.
• Other Authors: COLD REGIONS RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LAB HANOVER N H
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1973
• Subjects: Snow; Ice and Permafrost; Structural Engineering and Building Technology; *Pile structures; *Permafrost; Installation; Cold weather operations; Freezing; Soils; Pile drivers; Alaska; Bethel Air Force Station; Frozen soils; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0774291; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0774291

The installation, testing, and analysis of driven test piles installed at Bethel, Alaska, in conjunction with the construction of a radar tower foundation are discussed in detail. Investigations were conducted to obtain further information on driving piles in permafrost, studying effects of auxiliary refrigeration pipes on driving resistance, and verification of design assumptions. Test and production piles, 8- and 10-in. H-beams, were installed to maximum depth (34 ft) using a high-energy diesel hammer. While the size of the pile had little effect, the refrigeration pipes on both sides of the web increased driving resistance significantly. The load test results of a pile driven to a depth of 20 ft were extended to evaluate the capacity of the longer or larger radar tower piling. Recommendations on extending the use of the driving method of installing piles in frozen ground to different soil types and colder temperatures are presented. (Author)