With the "Piles IV: Structural verification of micropiles" module, the CYPECAD, CYPE 3D and Foundation Elements programs incorporate structural verification of micropiles for deep foundations.

This module can be used to design and verify pile caps with micropiles by applying structural criteria based on widely accepted international guidelines for their design and construction.

Defining micropiles

The micropile section will be defined by a nominal diameter specified by the user, depending on the drilling tool, a tubular casing consisting of a steel pipe, and a mortar or cement grout filling.

Analysis settings

The relevant panel within the general project data contains the options for analysing and verifying micropiles.

Using the "Piles III: Lateral stability analysis" module, you can perform a lateral stability analysis of the micropile in OpenSees. This is activated in the general data and carried out by taking into account the soil properties via the p-y curves. The characteristics of the ground and its geotechnical parameters are defined in the soil layer specifications in the same way as in the pile modules.

Checks

The "Piles IV: Structural verification of micropiles" module is used to perform structural analyses of compression, bending, shear and stress interactions in micropiles, as specified in the relevant guidelines:

• Guide to the design and installation of micropiles in road works (Ministry of Public Works. Directorate-General for Roads, 2005)
  This is used as a reference document for works in which European standards, or equivalent, have been selected.
• Micropile Design and Construction. Reference Manual for NHI Course 132078 (National Highway Institute, 2005)
  This is used as a reference document for works in which US standards, or equivalent, have been selected.

Furthermore, if the "Piles I: Calculation of ultimate bearing capacity" module is available, users can check the bearing capacity and uplift of micropiles. In the general data, you can choose between two calculation methods for bearing capacity checks, applying the calculation based on "Geotechnical parameters" or using "Unit resistance". In this way, the process remains consistent with pile calculations.

Reports and drawings

Elements with defined micropiles are shown on the drawings that can be generated using the program.

Furthermore, the foundation report sets out the specifications for the micropiles and their use in the pile caps.