Technical Resources
Timber Pile Design and Construction Manual
All objects and structures transfer their load either directly or indirectly to the earth. The capacity of the earth to support such loads depends on the strength and stability of the supporting soil or rock materials. Not all foundation materials possess the required characteristics to carry imposed loads or to resist natural or man-made forces without resulting in damage to the structures they support. Consequently, the engineer is faced with the task of designing foundations to distribute high-intensity loads in a manner that can be supported by existing natural subgrade materials, and /or modifying those natural materials.
This design manual follows the Allowable Stress Design methodology presented in the Federal Highway Administration’s Design and Construction of Driven Pile Foundations (FHWA-HI-97-013). The information from this FHWA document has been condensed to focus solely on timber piles and has been supplemented to provide additional guidance with respect to the selection of timber pile structural properties required for design.
The Timber Pile Design and Construction Manual is a comprehensive document that addresses a variety of topics related to the design and installation of treated timber piles. The manual provides the necessary allowable design stresses for a variety of timber species, with adjustment factors, as well as design methodologies for single piles and pile groups, with example problems. The preservative treatment process is also described along with the proper specifications to describe the material requirements and installation process. Testing procedures along with a chapter on geotechnical considerations are also included.
This manual has been developed by the Timber Piling Council as its official recommendation for Timber Piling Design and Construction.