Reliability-Based Calibration of Resistance Factors in LRFD Method for Driven Pile Foundations on Inshore Regions of Iran

This paper presents the improvement of load and resistance factor design (LRFD) method for axially loaded driven piles in Iran. The LRFD method has been well developed and successfully implemented in geotechnical engineering, especially in the design of pile foundations in different parts of the world. To extend the use of this method in Iran, it is necessary to use the results of reliable local pile load tests and construction records to calibrate LRFD resistance factors regionally. To this end, we first collected a comprehensive database of static and dynamic load tests which have been performed on driven piles in fine-grained soils across Iran. Based on this database, we calculated the resistance factors for different design methods using three different methods of reliability analysis (FORM, FOSM, and MCS) and for two levels of reliability (βT = 2.33 and 3). Finally, we used these calculations together with experience and engineering judgment to propose resistance factors for the National Building Code of Iran.