Performance-Based Design of Deep Foundation Systems in Load and Resistance Factor Design Framework

Performance-based design methods are increasingly being used for the design and analysis of structures. For performance-based design of deep foundation systems, limiting tolerable movements are one of the design criteria that can be used in lieu of the usual ultimate load capacity. The limiting tolerable movement is often selected to correspond to a movement that will cause damage to a structure but will not produce a collapsible failure of the structure. Performance-based design principles can be extended to include the axial design of deep foundation systems under strength and service loading conditions. In this extended approach, limiting tolerable settlements can be selected to correspond to a movement that will either cause excessive stresses in the structure or render a structure functionally inoperable because of serviceability limits. A performance-based design approach for axial design of deep foundations under the strength and serviceability limit states was developed. The design approach is integrated with the load and resistance factor design framework to develop an efficient and consistent methodology for satisfying both limit state criteria.