Allowable Bearing Capacity of Initially Bent Piles

A method for the calculation of the maximum lateral deflection, maximum soil reaction, and maximum bending moment of an axially loaded, initially bent pile is presented. By limiting the maximum soil reaction to one-half to one-third of the ultimate lateral resistance of the soil, and by limiting the maximum stress in the pile to one-fourth of the yield, or ultimate, strength of the pile material, it is possible to estimate rapidly the axial load that can be safely applied. The use of this method in design is illustrated by a numerical example.