DISCUSSION State of the art

DR FLEMING

Frequently site investigations are deficient in relation to pile design, although often a report of an inadequate investigation advises the use of piling. The CIRIA site investigation manual and other CIRIA publications have done a great deal to place in the hands of practitioners the basic information required for day to day work.

The design of single piles has-been further discussed by Randolph and Wroth. Several researchers are now attempting to assemble useful information for effective stress pile design. However, there is still, among engineers in general, scepticism about effective stress design methods, and critical state soil mechanics is considered as a research tool, rather than a tool for common use.