International Press-in Association

Volume 9, Issue 3

www.press-in.org

I NSIDE T HIS I SSUE
1. Messages (P1)
2. Special Contribution (P4)
3. Interview Report (P10)
4. Report (P23)
5. Event Report (P24)
6. Young Members (P29)
7. Announcement (P30)
8. Event Diary (P31)
9. Corporate Members (P32)
10. Editorial Remarks (P34)

EDITORIAL BOARD
Nor Azizi Bin Yusoff
Michael Doubrovsky
Pastsakorn Kitiyodom
Anh Tuan Vu
Mark Albert H. Zarco
Shinji Taenaka
Adnan Anwar Malik
Chen Wang
Tsunenobu Nozaki
Daisuke Hirose
Hongjuan He
Maki Kato

September 2024

Messages

From the Immediate Past President
Chun Fai Leung

Emeritus Professor, National University of Singapore
In June 2020, I took over as the President of IPA from Prof Osamu Kusakabe during
the height of COVID-19 epidemic. Time flies, I now complete my term as IPA President
during the Board meeting held in Singapore on 2 July 2024. Allow me to recap theevents that took place during the period from mid-2020 to mid-2024. For the firsttwo years of my term, the epidemic affected the activities of IPA significantly. Manyof the activities including the Board of Directors meetings and other IPA committee
meetings had to be held online. Despite the epidemic, I am happy to report that IPA
had successfully organized the Second International Conference on Press-in
Engineering online in June 2021 which
attracted a large number of online
delegates worldwide, thanks to theearnest efforts of the ICPE2021
Organizing Committee led by Prof. T.
Matsumoto. During this period, IPA had
also published the Press-in Engineering
Handbook in several languages andinitiated the Terminology TechnicalPhoto 1. Press-in Handbook
Committee to publish the IPA Terminology
in multilingual languages
Database on Press-in Engineering.
For the first time in 3 years, I managed to attend the IPA Board Meeting in person inTokyo in July 2022 together with other board members from Japan, while the otherdirectors from outside Japan attended online. The experience was a special one
whereby I had to take the COVID test before leaving Singapore and went through aseries of counters on checking my COVID vaccination certificate and review of otherdocuments upon arrival at Haneda Airport. The hotel I stayed near the IPA
Headquarter in Shinagawa did not have many guests. I still felt the strong atmosphereand heavy dose of epidemic situation.
The epidemic situation quickly diminished in many parts of the world after mid-2022.
In November 2022, IPA managed to organize its Board of Directors Meeting physicallyand a face-to-face Seminar on Press-in Engineering in Singapore. The site visit for theseminar delegates on installation of sheet piles right next to an adjacent building
using press-in technique was certainly a revelation for many delegates. The year 2023
was indeed a memorable year as
the Board Meeting was held in
Akaoka, Kochi in July at the newly
opened RED HILL 1967, a facility
dedicated to expanding theawareness of the superiority ofpress-in technologies, by GIKEN
LTD. which organized a dinner at its
Kochi Head Office to host the IPA
directors to further facilitate
technical exchanges in press-in
Photo 2. Board Members in RED Hill 1967
works. IPA Press-in Handbook was
1Volume 9, Issue 3

September 2024

translated into more languages, now available in over ten languages.
The highlight of 2024 is certainly the ICPE2024 held at the National University of Singapore, Singapore, from 3 to 5 July
2024. Over 200 delegates from over 17 countries attended the conference physically with two keynote speakers, threetheme lectures and about 60 oral presentations. The feedback from the delegates was generally positive with most ofthem happy with the proceedings and the conference banquet to renew friendship with old friends and meeting new
friends. Despite the heavy downpour at the beginning of the site visit on 5 July at the Headquarter of Guan Chuan
Engineering Pte Ltd, the spirit of the 140 participants was high as they could visualize the demonstration of ZERO PILERTM
on installing sheet piles right next to a wall, and installation of steel tubular tubes into hard materials by GYRO PILERTM.
In addition, the conference saw the launch of Press-in Terminology Database by IPA.
Last but not least, I wish to thank Prof. Osamu Kusakabe, IPA Past President and Executive Director, for his tireless efforts
and tremendous help in providing very useful inputs and guides for the operation of IPA in the past 4 years; to Mr. D.
Hirose, Secretary General of IPA, for his detailed and well-planned execution of various IPA activities and meetings; andto Mr. T. Nozaki, Ms. HJ. He, and Ms. M. Kato of the IPA Secretariat for their efforts in executing the ICPE2024. I also wish
our incoming President, Prof. Ken Gavin, to further bring IPA to a greater height and wishing him all the best for the
success of ICPE2027 to be held in the Netherlands.

Messages

From the New President
Kenneth Gavin
Professor, Delft University of Technology
It is with great honor and responsibility that I serve as the President of the International Press-in
Association (IPA). I extend my deepest gratitude to Prof. Chun Fai Leung, the Immediate Past
President, for his exemplary leadership and significant contributions to our organization. Prof.
Leung's tenure has seen remarkable growth and achievements, solidifying the foundation uponwhich we will continue to build.

As we look to the future, our mission remains steadfast: to advance press-in engineering through international
cooperation among practitioners, project owners, and academia, promoting environmentally considerate construction,and thereby contributing to the development of society. We will vigorously promote the expansion of our network,emphasizing collaboration and innovation in press-in engineering. This approach will not only broaden our reach but alsoenhance the implementation of our research into practical, societal applications.
One of my primary goals as the new President is to strengthen and expand our global network. By fostering closer ties
between our members and facilitating greater collaboration across borders, we can drive the development andapplication of press-in engineering to new heights. This will involve not only expanding our membership but also
increasing the number and scope of our technical committees and their activities. Furthermore, I am committed toadvancing our research initiatives by organizing committees and working groups of engineers and academia from various
disciplines interested in press-in engineering. We will place a strong emphasis on projects that contribute to societal
implementation, providing solutions that address real-world challenges and improve the quality of life for communities
around the globe.
Our upcoming events, including international conferences, symposia, lectures, and seminars related to press-inengineering, will serve as platforms to showcase our collective progress and share our knowledge with a broader
audience. Despite the challenges posed by the current global situation, we are adapting and finding innovative ways tocontinue our work and maintain the momentum of our activities.
I am also grateful for the continued support of Prof. Chun Fai Leung, who will remain an invaluable member of our Board.
His wealth of experience and unwavering dedication will be crucial as we navigate the path ahead. Together, with thesupport and active participation of our members, I am confident that we can achieve our goals and continue to advancepress-in engineering for the betterment of society. Let us move forward with renewed vigor and a shared commitment
to excellence. Thank you for your trust and support.
2Volume 9, Issue 3

September 2024

Messages

From New Director
Marawan M. Shahien
Professor of Geotechnical Engineering and Foundations
Tanta University

The African continent has many special features that make it so special to geotechnical engineering; 1) it is located in theheart or central part of the world, 2) it has one of the most ancient parts of the world where geotechnical engineering
was all began, 3) it is a virgin continent in most of its land. It holds vast potential for geotechnical engineering. This isbecause it has diverse geological formations, it has many environmental challenges and it has renewable energy potential.
It has essential needs for water resources management, capacity building and knowledge transfer. Furthermore, the rapid
urbanization and economic growth across Africa require extensive infrastructure development. Thus, there is a room fortechnologies such as the press-in piling technology. It is still gaining traction in Africa, its benefits in terms ofenvironmental sustainability, adaptability to local soil conditions, and efficiency make it a promising option for
infrastructure development across the continent. As awareness and demand for sustainable construction practices grow,the adoption of technologies like the press-in piling is likely to increase in African construction projects.

◆ A brief CV of Prof. Marawan M. Shahien

Marawan M. Shahien is the vice president of the Int. Society of Soil Mechanics andGeotechnical Engineering for Africa (2022-2026). He is currently Professor of GeotechnicalEngineering and Foundations in Tanta University. He has been serving as head of geotechnicalengineering department in Hamza Associates since 2005. He is registered geotechnicalengineering consultant in the Egyptian Syndicate of Engineers. He has wide spectrum ofinterests and experience in several fields of geotechnical engineering based on his involvementin practice, research and academia for more than 35 years. His interest includes but not limited
to geotechnical investigations and characterization, construction in soft ground, settlement
analysis, stability analysis, ports and water front structures, underground construction, groundwater control, instrumentation and monitoring, geo-environmental engineering, ground
improvement, soil dynamics and liquefaction, deep foundations, bearing capacity offoundations of offshore structures, foundations of solar power plants and wind farms and geotechnical aspects ofpreservation of antiquities. In 2004, he received Norman Medal Award of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
In 2020, he was recognized by Canadian Geotechnical Society as Honorable Mention of the R.M. Quigley Award. While in
University of Illinois, he was honored to be fellow of both S.D. Wilson and R. B. Peck. In 2009, he was the Secretary
General of the 17th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ICSMGE) in Alexandria.
He served as a member of two Committees of the Egyptian Code of Practice 1) Deep Excavations and 2) Laboratory andInsitu Testing.

3Volume 9, Issue 3

September 2024

Special Contribution
Rapid Load Test on a Gyropress Steel Pipe Pile for Design Purpose
Tatsunori Matsumoto
Emeritus Professor
Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
Reiki Bridge, an old bridge in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, was rebuilt in 2022. Steel pipe piles (SPPs) constructed using the
Gyropress Method were used for the pile foundations of the abutments of the new bridge. The piles were designed
preliminarily based on the empirical equations specified in Guidelines for design and construction of Gyropress steel pipe
piles retaining walls. However, as the number of applications of Gyropress pile is not enough so far, the Hybridnamic rapid
load test was carried out on one of the constructed piles for the purpose of pile design.
Keywords: Gyropsess pile, design, load-displacement relation, rapid load test, case study
1. Introduction
Reiki Bridge crossing Name-kawa River in Gunma Prefecture, Japan was replaced by a new bridge in 2022 [1]. The old
Reiki Bridge (Fig. 1a), a two-span rolled steel beams and reinforced concrete slab bridge, had a span length of 28.09 m
and a width of 3.7 m. The width of the new bridge (Fig. 1b), a single-span simple beam composite floor bridge with aspan length of 26.90 m, was widened to 7.5 m to accommodate increased traffic. The old bridge's pier foundation wasremoved, making the river's flow smooth and mitigating the risk of floods.
Steel pipe piles (SPPs) were adopted for the foundations of the abutments of the new bridge. Because of narrow site
conditions, limited access (as shown in Fig. 1a and 1b), mitigation of noise and vibration, and shortening of theconstruction period, Gyropress Method (Rotary Cutting Press-in Method) was employed to construct the SPPs. In the
Gyropress Method, an open-ended steel pipe pile with cutting bits at the pile tip is pressed into the ground with rotation
as shown in Fig. 2. The piles were designed preliminarily based on the empirical equations specified in Guidelines fordesign and construction of Gyropress steel pipe piles retaining walls (IPA, 2014) [2]. However, as the number ofapplications of Gyropress pile is not enough so far, it was determined to carry out a load test on the constructed pile.

Fig. 1b The new Reiki bridge

Fig. 1a The old Reiki bridge

The constraints of the narrow space made the conventional static load test (SLT) impractical. And, the construction period
needed to be shortened. Hence, the Hybridnamic Rapid Load Test (Hybridnamic RLT) (Kamei et al., 2022) [3] was carriedout on one of the constructed SPPs to obtain “static” load-displacement curve. The Hybridnamic RLT requires less space
and test period, compared with SLT.

4

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September 2024

2 Outline of Rapid Load Test
2.1 Site condition
Fig. 3 shows the results of borehole investigations and theembedment of the instrumented test pile. Beneath the top
filled layer, there exists a very hard gravel layer with SPT Nvalues ≥ 50. Because the borehole terminated at a depth of
10 m, the soil layer below this depth was assumed to be a
gravel layer similar to the shallower gravel layer.
2.2 Pile specifications
Table 1 shows the specifications of the test steel pipe pile
(SPP). The SPP was installed using the Gyropress Method. The
test pile was instrumented with two pairs of strain gages andaccelerometers near the pile head for the Hybridnamic RLT(see Fig. 3).

Fig. 2 GYRO PILERTM(https://www.giken.com/en/solutions/gyro/)

SPT N-value

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Table 1. Specifications of test piles
Item
Value
Pile length, L (m)15.0
Embedment length, Ld (m)14.0Outer diameter, Do (mm)1200
Inner diameter, Di (mm)1176
Wall thickness, tw (mm)12.0
Cross-sectional area, A (m2)0.045Young's modulus, E (GPa)206.8
Density, ρ (ton/m3)
7.88
Bar wave velocity, c (m/s)
5123
Mass, m (ton)
4.94

0

G.L.

SPT-N
Assumed N -value

Test pile
G.L.

L1

2.3 Preliminary pile design

Depth from sea level, z (m)Fill5GravelGround water table

10

Table 2 lists the design working loads on the pile, the factorof safety and the corresponding required pile capacity. The
action of the reaction mass caused during loading is about
5g. Hence, weight of the reaction mass is about 20% of theplanned maximum load. An advantage of the Statnamic testis the high loading capacity which can be as high as 60 MN.
However, repeated loading is difficult in the Statnamic test.
The ultimate bearing capacity of the pile was preliminarily
calculated using the empirical formulas listed in Table 3.
Using N = 50, the following values of ultimate resistancewere roughly obtained:
qd = 2400 kPa, total tip resistance Qd = 2714 kN
fs = 100 kPa, total shaft resistance Qs = 2740 kN
Total pile capacity Q = Qd + Qs = 5454 kN

Gravel(deemed)15

Acceleromete
Strain gage

Fig. 3 Profiles of soil layers and SPT N-values

Table 2. Design loads, factor of safety and required pile
capacity
Working Factor of
RequiredStateloadsafety pile capacity
Usual
1305 kN
33915 kN
L1 earthquake
1440 kN22880 kN

While the estimated total pile capacity sufficiently
exceeds the required capacity, the limited number of
Gyropress pile applications raises concerns about the reliability of empirical formulas used to estimate tip and shaft
resistance. Hence, it was determined to carry out a load test on one of the constructed piles. As mentioned earlier, the5Volume 9, Issue 3

September 2024

narrow site conditions rendered the conventional SLT impractical. For these reasons, it was determined to carry out theHybridnamic RLT to confirm that the pile has a bearing capacity greater than 3915 kN.
3. Interpretation Methods of RLT Signals

Table 3. Empirical formulas to estimate tip and shaft
resistance (IPA, 2014)
Soil type
Tip resistance
Shaft resistanceqd (kPa)fs (kPa)
Sand
60 N (≤ 2,400 kPa) 2 N (≤ 100 kPa)
Gravel

3.1 ULPC method
The ULPC (UnLoading Point Connection) method (Kamei etal., 2022) [3] is an extension method of UnLoading Point(ULP) method. In the Hybridnamic RLT, generally, 5 to 7
blows are applied to the pile with increasing the fall heightof hammer h. In each blow, the time variation of the soil
resistance Rsoil(t) is obtained using Eq. (1).
(1)

where Frapid is the measured applied force, α is themeasured pile head acceleration and M is the pile mass.
Rsoil contains dynamic soil resistance depending on the pilepenetration velocity v(t). At the maximum pile
displacement (UnLoading Point, ULP), the pile velocity v =0. Hence, Rsoil at ULT is thought to be the static soil
resistance. By connecting ULPs from multiple blows, staticload-displacement relation is easily constructed.

t - Lm/c

F ( xm , t ) − Z v( xm , t )
2
L 
L 


t ) Fd  xm , t − m  + Fu  xm , t + m 
Rt ( xm ,=
c 
c 



Fu ( xm , t ) =t + Lm/c Time

Fd

Fu

Pile length below
measurement (Lm)

The Case method (Raushe et al., 1985) [4] is a method
based on the one-dimensional stress-wave theory, inwhich the penetration resistance Rt (= Rsoil) of a pile during
driving is estimated. First, the downward traveling wave Fdand the upward traveling wave Fu are calculated from themeasured dynamic signals (axial force F and pile velocity v)
using of Eq. (2) and Eq. (3), respectively. Then, by using Eq.
(4), the time variation of Rt(t) (= Rsoil(t) ) is obtained (Fig. 4).

F ( xm , t ) + Z v( xm , t )2tMeasurement position (xm)

3.2 ULPC_CM method

Fd ( xm , t ) =

Fd
Fu

2Lm/c

Force

Rsoil (t ) = Frapid (t ) - M α (t )

Depth

(2)

Fig. 4 Case method (Raushe et al. 1985)

(3)
(4)

where, x: Coordinate along the pile axis (pile head = 0), xm: Measurement position, v: Pile velocity,
Lm: Pile length from measurement position to pile tip, F: Axial force, Fd: Downward force wave, Fu: Upward force wave,
Z: Impedance (=EA/c), c: Bar wave velocity, E: Young's modulus of pile, A: Cross-sectional area of pile.
In the ULPC_CM method, multiple blows (rapid load tests) are applied to a pile. The time variation of soil resistance Rsoil
is obtained from the Case method, and the time variation of pile displacement w is directly measured. Hence, Rsoil – w
relation is easily obtained. Rsoil at the maximum pile displacement can be regarded as the static resistance Rw. Similar to
the ULPC method, a static load-displacement curve is constructed by connecting ULPs from the multiple blows.
As the ULPC_CM method is based on the one-dimensional stress-wave theory, it has the advantage of not requiringcorrection for pile inertia Ra. Hence, the ULPC_CM method would be applied to RLTs on piles with relative loading duration
Tr = tL/(2L/c) < 5 (tL is the loading duration).

6Volume 9, Issue 3

Forces,Fd and Fu (kN)

6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
-1000

Displacement,w (mm)

Fig. 5 is the Hybridnamic RLT device used at the site. As
seen from the figure, the usual reaction system such asreaction piles and rection beams are not required and thetesting space is very narrow.

20
15
10
5
0
-5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
-0.5
-1.0
-1.5
200
100
0
-100
-200
0.00

Fig. 5 Hybridnamic RLT device used in the site

RLTs were carried out using the device with a hammer
mass mh = 9.5 tons. A total of 6 blows (RLTs) were applied
to the pile with increasing drop height h from 0.30 to 1.80
m. The target maximum load was 4083 kN which was
greater than the required pile capacity of 3915 kN. The
test was completed within 3 days including preparation,
testing and dismounting of the device.

6000
5000 h = 1.80 m
4000 m = 9.5 ton
3000
2000
1000
tL = 33.3ms
0(Tr = 6.1)
-1000

Velocity,v (m/s)4.1 Outline of RLT

Acceleration,α (m/s2)

Rapid load &soil resist.,
Frapid and Rsoil (kN)

4 Rapid load test at the site

September 2024

FrapidRsoil (ULPC)
Rsoil (ULPC_CM)

Fd
Fu

0.02

0.04

0.06

Time, t (s)

0.08

0.10

Fig. 6 RLT signals (h = 1.80 m)

4.2 Test results
The measured test signals were interpreted using two methods, ULPC and ULPC_CM. Fig. 6 shows the measured dynamic
signals, rapid load Frapid, pile head displacement w, velocity v and acceleration α, in the RLT at h = 1.80 m. In the figure,soil resistance Rsoil (ULPC) from the ULPC method and Rsoil (ULPC_CM) from the ULPC_CM method are shown together
with Frapid. Furthermore, Fd and Fu are also shown.
Fig. 7 shows the Frapid, Rsoil (ULPC) and Rw (ULPC) vs w from the ULPC method.
Fig. 8 also shows the Frapid, Rsoil (ULPC_CM) and Rw (ULPC_CM) vs w from the ULPC_CM method.
Fig. 9 shows the static load-displacement relations from ULPC and ULPC_CM. The 2 curves match quite well up to 6 mm
displacement, but start to show some deviation as the displacement increases from 6 mm. Until the 3rd blow the pilehead accelerations were relatively small. Hence the 2 curves match well. After the 4th blow large pile head upward(negative) acceleration was generated resulting in an overestimation of Rsoil when ULPC interpretation method is
employed. On the other hand, as mentioned earlier, because the ULPC_CM method is based on the one-dimensional
stress-wave theory, it has the advantage of not requiring correction for pile inertia Ra. Therefore ULPC_CM is more reliable
than ULPC.
Both of the result from each interpretation method satisfied the required capacity. The initial pile head stiffness Kh fromeach interpretation was almost same, Kh = 501 MN/m.

7

6000

FrapidRsoil (ULPC)
Rw (ULPC)

5000
4000

Resistance, Rw & Rsoil (kN)Resistance, Rw & Rsoil (kN)

Volume 9, Issue 3

3000
2000
1000
0
0

5

10

15

Displacement, w (mm)

20

6000

September 2024

FrapidRsoil (ULPC_CM)
Rw (ULPC_CM)

5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
0

Fig. 7 Frapid, Rsoil and Rw vs w from ULPC

5

10

15

Displacement, w (mm)20

Fig. 8 Frapid, Rsoil and Rw vs w from ULPC_CM

Due to the low reliability of the empirical formulas for
estimating tip and shaft resistance, RLT was carried out toconfirm the required capacity of SPPs constructed using the
Gyropress Method.
In this study, load-displacement relations of the pile wereobtained from RLT with two interpretation methods, ULPC(the current JGS method) and ULPC_CM (a new and morereliable method). The load-displacement curves from bothinterpretation methods exceeded the required pile capacitywith a pile head displacement of about 14 mm.
It is emphasized that the Hybridnamic rapid load testing wasused as a reliable design tool.

6000

Total pile capacity from the5000 preliminary design stage = 5,454 kN

Static resistance, Rw (kN)

5 Concluding Remark

4000 Required capacity = 3,915 kN
3000
2000

Rw (ULPC)
Rw (ULPC_CM)

1000
0

0

5

10

15

Displacement, w (mm)20

Fig. 9 Comparison of load-displacement curves from
RLTs with ULPC and ULPC_CM

REFERENCES[1] Mandal, K., Lin, S., Kamei, S., Watanabe, K. and Matsumoto, T.: Rapid load test on a press-in steel pipe pile with
Gyropress Method for confirmation of design bearing capacity, Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on
Press-in Engineering, Singapore. 7p., 2024.
[2] International Press-in Association (IPA): Guidelines for design and construction of steel pipe pile retaining walls
constructed using Gyropress Method, 2014 (in Japanese).
[3] Kamei, S., Takano, K. and Fujita, T.: Comparison of static load test and rapid load test on steel pipe piles in two sites.
Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Stress Wave Theory and Design and Testing Methods for Deep
Foundations, Rotterdam, 8p., 2022. DOI 10.5281_zenodo.7148489.
[4] Raushe, F., Goble, G. and Likins, G. E. Jr.: Dynamic determination of pile capacity, ASCE Jour. Geotech. Div., 111(3),pp. 367-383, 1985.
[5] Lin, S., Kamei, S., Yamamoto, I. and Matsumoto, T.: Hybridnamic rapid load testing with UnLoading Point Connection
method invoking Case method. Proceedings of the 17th Asian Regional Conference on Soil Mechanics andGeotechnical Engineering 2023, Nur-Sultan, pp.1425-1428, 2023.

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Volume 9, Issue 3

September 2024

◆ A brief CV of Prof. Tatsunori Matsumoto

Tatsunori Matsumoto obtained his Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Science from
Kanazawa University, Japan. He joined the Department of Civil Engineering of Kanazawa
University in 1981 as research associate. He became an Associate Professor in 1991 andpromoted to a Professor from August in 1999. He retired from Kanazawa University in 2021
and became Emeritus Professor.
He retains an active involvement in research into pile dynamics and deformation of pilefoundations including piled rafts subjected to load combinations. He has published morethan 200 technical papers including more than 60 Journal papers.

He was the Chairman of IS-Kanazawa 2012: The 9th International Conference on Testingand Design Methods for Deep Foundations held in Kanazawa, Japan, from 18 to 20
September, 2012. He was Vice-President Asia of IPA from 2019 to 2024.

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Volume 9, Issue 3

September 2024

Interview Report

Permanent steel-concrete composite retaining wall utilizing
the press-in piling method
Tsunenobu Nozaki
General Manager
International Press-in Association

1. Forward

In the Japanese architectural field, retaining structure materials are specified as “RC, masonry or similar corrosion
resistance materials” in the Building Standard Acts. Therefore, these materials are routinely and exclusively used forpermanent retaining structures in the Japanese architectural field. On the other hand, steel walls, such as sheet pile walls
and tubular pile walls, are normally used as temporary retaining structures in order to construct permanent RC
substructures.
However, this traditional system often requires a relatively large amount of space for substructures. This is because theoverall thickness of a substructure comprises a temporary retaining wall and a permanent structure. On the other hand, it
is seen that applications of sheet pile walls and tubular pile walls for permanent retaining structures are gradually increasing
mainly for the following reasons.
1) The recent development of more rigid and robust sheet piles.
2) The development of piling techniques for high modulus piles.
3) The expansion of composite design practices between steel and concrete in retaining wall design.
This report focuses on the future prospect of steel retaining walls for permanent use, based on recent case histories. Thesemaximized land use by utilizing high modulus steel piles, state-of-the-art press-in piling technologies and composite
retaining wall design practices.
Overview of the project
Project: Kyoto Higashiyama Project (Kyoyamato & Park Hyatt Kyoto)
Location: Masuyacho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, Japan
Interviewee：Takenaka Corporation (Owner & Developer, Project Planner, Designer and Building Contractor)

Mr. Toshio Sagara
Construction Project Manager
Hiroshima Branch OfficeTakenaka Corporation

Mr. Naohiro Fujita
Associate Chief
Osaka Main OfficeTakenaka Corporation10

Volume 9, Issue 3

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2. Scope of work

The project was the construction of new hotel buildings in Kyoto, the tourism capital of Japan. The buildings comprise 2-4
storey buildings and 1-2 level basements. The construction site was located on a steep slope with the height difference
being approximately 30m and was adjacent to an existing building. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 show the layout of the hotel complex.
Due to the Kyoto City Landscape Policy, which was implemented in 2007 to retain Kyoto’s magnificent landscapes for future
generations, all building heights are restricted. Therefore, in order to provide enough hotel space, a relatively deep
basement was required.
The requirement necessitated the construction of a retaining wall alongside the east boundary with a retained height ofup to 13m. The working conditions were unfavorable for traditional retaining walls. As such, a solution using a high modulus
permanent steel-concrete composite retaining wall and the press-in piling method were selected and approved.
High Modulus Steel-RC Composite Retaining Wall (65lin.m)

A’
B’
A

B
Fig. 1. Building Complex Layout Plan
Overview of high modulus steel-concrete composite retaining wall
 Temporary condition: 37no. steel tubular piles 1,500mm O.D. x 25mm w.t. L=27.6m (2 splices) + temporary
ground anchors Permanent condition: Composite retaining wall (steel tubular pile wall + L-shaped RC retaining wall)
High modulus Steel-RC Composite Retaining Wall (65lin.m)

Fig. 2. Longitudinal Section of Building Complex (Section A-A’)

11

Existing
Building

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September 2024

3. Ground conditions

The project site is located on a diluvium formation. Underneath the surface soil layer of Fill (F), the following soil layers areunderlying from the top.
1) Gravel mixed sandy clay (dt, SPT N=6-15)
2) Silt mixed sandy gravel (Dg2-c, SPT N=10-43)
3) Sandy clay (Dc-2, SPT N=15-24)
4) Clay mixed sandy gravel (Dg3-c, SPT N>60, maximum extrapolated SPT N=250)
At the design stage, as the proposed formation level was +34mAOD, it was expected that the retaining wall would need to
be installed into the very dense sandy gravel layer (Dg3-c). Also, a relatively large earth pressure was anticipated since theCu (undrained shear strength) of the approximately 10m thick sandy clay layer (dt) is rather low (32-82kN/m2).

Fig. 3. Longitudinal Geographic Section (Section B-B’)

4. Selection of retaining wall type and construction method

The construction of the new buildings required a retaining wall with a retained height of 13m along the east boundary. Due
to difficult working conditions along the east boundary, it was not feasible to install a conventional king post pile wall as atemporary retaining wall. In order to satisfy the design criteria, a high modulus temporary/permanent dual use retaining
wall composed of a steel tubular pile wall and an L-shaped RC wall was adopted (Fig. 4 and Fig. 5). Regarding theconstruction method, the Gyropress MethodTM (Rotary Press-in Method) was selected to overcome the difficult conditions.
On the project, the primary factors in selecting the retaining wall type and construction method were as follows.
1) A deeper basement than the depth of foundation piles of the adjacent building was required.
2) The use of permanent ground anchors was not permitted due to the presence of adjacent properties. Thus, the 13m
free-standing retained height was required permanently since the ground anchors were removed after temporary use.
3) As the adjacent building was supported by a group-pile foundation, it was necessary to install ground anchors below
the pile foundation. Due to this, it was not feasible to fix the most ideal position of the retaining wall i.e. the top of theretaining wall, with the ground anchors. Therefore, the ground anchors were attached to the retaining wall at the
middle height of the retained height.
4) The construction site was designated as a “sediment disaster special alert area”. It was necessary to circumvent thealert by constructing a high modulus retaining wall.
5) Due to 1) – 4) above, it was not possible to construct the basement using typical traditional retaining wall system i.e. a
combination of a temporary soldier pile retaining wall with ground anchors and an L-shaped RC wall.
6) The construction site was located on a steep slope with the height difference being approximately 30m from top tobottom. Therefore, a construction technique which can be carried out on a slope commencing surface needed to be
selected.

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7) Due to the narrow access to the construction site and working space, firstly a construction technique to overcome
these constraints needed to be considered.
8) The Gyropress Method was adopted in order to satisfy the requirements stated in 6) and 7) above.

Existing Building

Fig. 4. Cross Section of High Modulus Steel-RC Composite Retaining Wall

Fig. 5. Plan Layout of Steel Tubular Pile Wall

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5. Design of high modulus steel-RC composite retaining wall

At the design stage, due to the required retained height of 13m, the proposed retaining wall was not considered to be acantilevered wall, but one supported with temporary struts or ground anchors. Temporary struts were an unrealistic
solution on the project taking into account location and orientation of the proposed retaining wall. Therefore, groundanchoring was the preferred option. However, due to the presence of the existing building supported by the group piles
behind the proposed retaining wall, ground anchors were designed to be below the tips of the group piles. This resulted in
the anchor head elevation not been set at the top of the retaining wall, but in the middle of the retained height. In order
to avoid leaving ground anchors in place, removable ground anchors were used. (Fig. 5)
The retaining wall construction needed to satisfy the following criteria.
1) The retaining wall shall be rigid enough to maintain its lateral deflection to within 30mm using single level groundanchors.
2) Construction materials and equipment must be able to be delivered to the job site through the narrow access road.
3) The construction method shall be capable of installing the retaining wall into hard ground, with an extrapolated SPT N
value of up to 250.
4) Construction works shall be carried out within the specified noise and vibration limits.
5) Construction works must be able to be carried out on a steep commencing surface.
To fully satisfy these criteria, a steel tubular pile retaining wall installed utilizing the Gyropress Method (Rotary Press-in
Piling Method) was selected. Regarding the tubular pile profile, 1,500mm O.D. x 25mm w.t. was specified as the maximum
applicable profile for the GYRO PILERTM (the press-in piling machine of the Gyropress Method), which can be delivered tothe job site. However, the bending stiffness of the tubular pile wall was not sufficient against the maximum earth pressure
after the ground anchors were removed. Therefore, a retaining wall design in a permanent condition with a steel-RCcomposite retaining wall (Fig. 6) was used. Therefore, a retaining wall in a permanent condition composed of steel tubularpiles along with an RC composite retaining wall (Fig. 6) was designed. In addition, the RC structure was also designed as
the base of the garden landscape as well as the structural component of the retaining wall. The bending moment acting on
the steel tubular pile wall was effectively transferred to the RC structure by transferring shear force and tensile force using
shear studs and reinforcing bars. As for the RC structure, an L-shaped RC wall was designed to spread the ground surcharge
caused by the bending moment. It was assessed that the moment capacity of the composite wall would have anapproximately 30% cushion as the actual stress ratio to the allowable stress of the reinforcing bars would be 76%.
Steel Tubular Pile
Retaining Wall

L-shaped RC wallFig. 6. Design Concept of the High Modulus Steel-RC Composite Retaining Wall
The maximum allowable lateral deflection of the proposed tubular pile retaining wall was specified at 30mm. (The generaldeflection limit used in Japanese building construction sites). The retaining wall was designed based on behavior analysisof the surrounding ground and the existing adjacent building. The design was approved after agreement with the owner ofthe existing adjacent building.

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6. Construction of high modulus steel-RC composite retaining wall

1) Installation of tubular piles using the Gyropress Method
Due to the proximity of the proposed retaining wall to the site boundary line (2-4m apart), the press-in piling method
was selected to minimize noise and vibration during pile installation. In addition, other defining points of the method
selection were a) the press-in piling method is capable of installing piles on a steep commencing surface (Fig. 7) and b)
the high exposed height of piles.
Among several press-in piling modes, the Gyropress Method (Rotary Press-in Piling Method) was selected as it iscapable of installing tubular piles into hard ground.

Center Line of Proposed Tubular Pile Retaining Wall
Fig. 7. Before Tubular Pile Installation
The Gyropress Method (rotary press-in piling method) is used to install steel tubular piles. The Gyropress Method
consists of axial press-in and rotation, that increases the efficiency of press-in piling. Depending on soil conditions, a
suitable ring bit is attached onto the pile toe. This enables tubular piles to be installed into very hard ground and/or
through underground obstacles. The GYRO PILER grasps a tubular pile with its hydraulic chuck and installs the pile using
axial hydraulic press-in force and rotational torque. In order to reduce the rotational penetration resistance and preventthe forming of pile plugs, rotary press-in piling employs driving assistance using a water lubrication system. Fig. 8 andFig. 9 below show the overview of the Gyropress Method and pile installation respectively.

Fig. 8. Overview of Gyropress Method

Fig. 9. Pile Installation in Progress15

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As with other press-in piling modes, the GYRO PILER installs piles deriving its reaction force by gripping previously
installed piles which are called reaction piles. The GYRO PILER can self-move above the reaction piles during pile
installation. The process is shown below in Fig. 10.

Fig. 10. Sequence of Gyropress Method

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September 2024

On this particular project, the required length of tubular pile was 27.6m. This exceeded the deliverable pile length, due
to restricted site access. Therefore, piles were spliced on site as shown below in Fig. 11. Due to the restriction of thelay-down area, horizontal pile splicing was not feasible. Therefore, piles were spliced vertically during pile installation(bottom pile, middle pile and then upper pile). Circumference welding was used to splice piles, which were inspectedusing liquid penetrant testing on all splices, and ultrasonic testing on 1 in 20.

Fig. 11. Longitudinal Section of Tubular Pile WallIn general, tubular piles are installed with a gap between adjacent piles to avoid the interference of adjacent piles andto enable the adjustment of installation tolerances. On this project, 1,500mm O.D. tubular piles were installed at
1,700mm intervals, which left a 200mm gap between piles. In order to prevent particle loss in the retained soil throughthe gaps, a closure pile is normally installed in each gap between piles. Equal angle section or small diameter pipe isnormally used as the closure pile. On the project, equal angle sections (200mm x 200mm) were used. Fig. 12 shows theinstallation sequence of closure piles.

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Fig. 12. Installation Sequence of Closure Pile
The installation period of the total of 37 piles was 51 days, including mobilization and demobilization of all equipment
and pile materials. Regarding pile installation, the average daily production rate was 0.8 piles/day (2 splices each pile).
2) Excavation and installation of ground anchors
After installing the tubular pile retaining wall, a primary excavation was undertaken to establish the commencing
surface for the installation of ground anchors. Ground anchors were then installed using an anchor drilling machine(Fig. 13).

Fig. 13. Installation of Ground Anchors

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After the installation of all the ground anchors, a secondary excavation was carried out to establish the final formationlevel as shown in Fig. 15. Blinding concrete was then cast on the formation level. The lateral deflection of the tubular
pile retaining wall was monitored throughout the excavation works in accordance with the allowable deflection limits
shown in Table1. The maximum actual deflection was 28mm, which was less than the specified allowable deflection
limit. Also, the actual axial force of ground anchors was less than the design axial force as shown in Table 2. These results
prove the validity of the retaining wall design.
Table 1. Allowable Lateral Deflection of Tubular
Pile Retaining Wall

Primary
Reference Value
Secondary
Reference Value

25.6mm (80%)
32mm (100％)

Table 2. Axial Force of Ground Anchors

Design Force
Actual Force

360kN/m
320kN/mFig. 14. Monitoring Results of Lateral Deflection

Fig. 15. Bulk Excavation after Ground Anchoring (left) and Completion of Excavation (right)

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3) Welding of shear studs
After laying the blinding concrete, shear studs and reinforcing bars were welded onto the tubular piles utilizing studwelding guns. Regarding the weld inspection, additional weld inspections were carried out on finished stud welds, as
the diameter of shear studs and reinforcing bars was 19mm. In Japan, weld inspections are exempted if the stud
diameter is 16mm or smaller. Laboratory bend testing and tensile testing were carried out on the welded specimens.
As for the on-site inspection, 100% visual inspection and 1/100 bend tests (displacing the head of the studs by striking
them with a hammer) were conducted on the finished stud welds.

Fig. 16. Lower Stud Welding in Progress (left) and Completed Lower Stud Welding (right)
4) Formwork and concrete placement
After welding all the shear studs and reinforcing bars onto the tubular piles, formwork and scaffolding were set up (Fig.
17 and 18). The concrete retaining wall was then cast. Grade Fc24 concrete, with a standard service life of 65 years,
was used on the project.

Fig. 17. Formwork and Scaffolding

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Fig. 18. Perspective Aerial View of Excavation
5) Landscaping
Landscape gardening was included in the design of the L-shaped RC wall, as the wall is located in front of hotel guest
rooms (Fig. 19).

Fig. 19. L-shaped RC Wall and Landscaping

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7. Conclusions

September 2024

In retaining wall construction and basement construction projects, it is ideal if temporary retaining walls can also be usedas permanent substructures. However, most temporary retaining walls currently used in Japan do not satisfy structural
criteria of permanent substructure, which is required by the Japanese Building Standards Act. In addition, there is no suchstandard for temporary/permanent dual use retaining walls designated by the Architectural Institute of Japan at the
moment. Therefore, temporary retaining walls and permanent substructures are generally unrelated entities in design andconstruction. Temporary/permanent dual use retaining walls can broadly be applied in the future construction scene inJapan, if their guidelines are authorized by the Architectural Institute of Japan. However, it normally takes a long time toapprove the guideline. For the time being, it would be prudent for advocates of temporary/permanent dual use retaining
walls to obtain a “Building Technology Performance Evaluation Certification” from the “General Building Research
Corporation of Japan (GBRC)”, and submit it to a “District Construction Surveyor” on each project. In addition, it is also
important to provide design & construction manuals and case histories, when disseminating new methodologies.
In contrast, temporary/permanent dual use retaining walls are widely used outside of Japan, regardless of whether they
are steel or RC. However, like in Japan, steel-RC composite retaining walls are not common. In general, steel walls and RC
walls are used alone, not as composites. If steel walls are covered with concrete liner walls, these concrete liners arenormally non-structural members and applied for cosmetic reasons. Therefore, the design and construction guidelines ofcomposite retaining walls also need to be standardized outside of Japan.
Needless to say, if a temporary retaining wall and a permanent substructure are composited, not only the stiffness of thecompleted substructure can be increased, but also both the structural performance and functions of the substructure canbe compatible. In addition to structural optimization, the retaining wall material product range will be broadened andretaining wall material supply chain will be improved. We expect that the composite retaining wall structure will berecognized around the world.
REFERENCE
Kisoko Vol.46, No10, 2018.10

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September 2024

Report

IPA Board Meeting 2024 in Singapore
IPA Secretariat

The IPA Board Meeting on July 2nd 2024 was held in
Singapore, with 23 directors participating in personand 4 directors submitted proxies, exceeding thequorum (Photo 1). The meeting began with agreeting from President Leung, who welcomed all
attendees and introduced the ICPE2024 meeting
which will be held on the next day of the Board
meeting. He also mentioned the changeover in the
IPA leadership. He will become the Immediate Past
President, and the new president will be confirmed
today.
Photo 1 Group photo
At the Board meeting, important matters related to the operation of the IPA were
proposed, confirmed and approved, such as the appointment of a new president,
vice presidents for FY2024-2025, the appointment and approval of Executive
Director, the appointment of chairs and vice co-chairs of each Standing Committee,
the confirmation of members, and the establishment of the Steering Committee. In
addition, as a report item, the Chairs of each standing committee explained theactivity plan for this year, and the information on the preparation status of ICPE2024
was shared with the members by Prof. Leung. Finally, the new President Prof. Gavinannounced the next ICPE2027 will be held in the Netherlands. He acknowledged thechallenge of organizing the conference in a region where the press-in piling industry
is less established compared to Japan. He emphasized the need for the committee togather suggestions, ideas, and mobilize people, particularly young participants, toensure the conference's success (Photo 2). Following the Board meeting, eachStanding Committee meeting was held to discuss this year's activity plan and specificmeasures.

Photo 2 New President Prof. Gavinintroduced the next ICPE2027

After the Board Meeting, all directors visited the ICPE2024 Venue and National University of Singapore (NUS) New
Centrifuge Laboratory (Photo 3 and Photo 4).

Photo 3 NUS New Centrifuge Laboratory

Photo 4 NUS New Centrifuge Laboratory

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Event Report
Third International Conference on Press-in Engineering (ICPE2024)
Held in Singapore
The International Press-in Association (IPA) is an academic organization founded in 2007 with the aim of scientificallyelucidating and promoting press-in piling technologies for static penetration of steel sheet piles and piles into the ground.
As of the end of June 2024, the IPA comprises 731 individual members and 48 corporate members from international
entities. Japan has been leading the activities, hosting the first International Conference on Press-in Engineering in Kochi
in 2018 and the second conference in Tokyo (online) in 2021.
The Third International Conference on Press-in Engineering (ICPE2024) was held from July 3 to 5, 2024, at the National
University of Singapore (NUS). Organized by the IPA and co-organized by NUS, the Geotechnical Society of Singapore(GeoSS), and the Tunneling and Underground Construction Society Singapore (TUCSS), ICPE2024 focused on the theme"The Superiority of Press-in Piling towards Sustainable Construction in Tackling Climate Change for Infrastructure
Development."
Under the theme "The Superiority of Press-in Piling towards Sustainable Construction in Tackling Climate Change forInfrastructure Development," ICPE2024 attracted 208 leading researchers and engineers in press-in engineering from 17
countries and regions, based on 64 general paper submissions. The conference featured keynote lectures, theme lectures,presentations across various fields, and a press-in piling live demonstration. The conference facilitated vigorous
discussions and Q&A sessions, where challenges for sustainable development, the latest technologies, and researchoutcomes in press-in engineering were shared. These interactions provided valuable exchanges of opinions aimed at the
future development of press-in engineering.
ICPE2024 provided a valuable opportunity for researchers and engineers in press-in engineering from around the world
to gather, share the latest technologies and research achievements, and significantly contribute to the advancement ofpress-in engineering.

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Conference Program
Opening Ceremony:At the opening ceremony, Professor Chun Fai Leung of the National University of Singapore (NUS), Chair of the ICPE2024
Organizing Committee, spoke about the history and significance of the conference. He expressed his delight that the third
conference was being held outside of Japan for the first time and welcomed participants from various regions,emphasizing the conference's important role in the international dissemination and development of press-in engineering.
Following his remarks, Dr. Jeyatharan Kumarasamy, Immediate Past President of TUCSS; Dr. Darren Chian, President of
GeoSS; and Prof. Keh-Jian Shou, Vice President for Asia of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and GeotechnicalEngineering (ISSMGE), each gave addresses. They highlighted the evolution and successful case studies of press-in pilingtechnology, the growing demand in urban environments, and the response to climate change and sustainability.

Prof. Chun Fai Leung

Dr. Jeyatharan Kumarasamy

Dr. Darren Chian

Prof. Keh-Jian ShouICPE Awards Ceremony:Awards were presented to 15 winners in five categories, including the ICPE Best Paper Award for papers submitted to
ICPE 2024.
•The ICPE Best Paper Award:•Outstanding Project Award:•Distinguished Research Award:•Life-long Contribution Award:•Early Career Engineer Award:

Mr. Ryuto Shikakura, Dr. S M Shafi, Dr. Kentaro Nakai
Mr. Kazunori Toda, Mr. Kazuyuki Matsuzawa,
Mr. Ram Krishna Mandal, Dr. Takeshi Yamazaki
City of Amsterdam, G-Kracht
Dr. Yukihiro Ishihara, Dr. Xi Xiong, Dr. Vijayakanthan Kunasegaram
Dr. Osamu Kusakabe, Prof. Tatsunori Matsumoto
Mr. Yusuke Mochida, Mr. Benjamin Bautista Buensuceso III

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Keynote Lectures:

Two keynote lectures were delivered by distinguished scholars.

Keynote Lecture 1:
Keynote Lecture 2:

Shinobu Yume Yamaguchi (Director, United Nations University Institute for the Advanced
Study of Sustainability)
Kenneth Gavin (Professor, Delft University of Technology, President, International Press-in
Association)

Dr. Yamaguchi's lecture, titled "Progress of UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Synergy with Climate Change
Actions," covered the current status of the SDGs, international efforts regarding climate change, the understanding ofinterrelated risks, and the implications and impacts of these issues.
Professor Gavin's lecture, titled "The Potential Use of Press-in Methods in the Offshore Renewables Industry," discussed
the latest monopile design techniques, seabed modeling, and the handling of difficult soils for construction. He
highlighted how press-in technology contributes to sustainable infrastructure development.

Keynote Lecture 1: Dr. Shinobu Yume Yamaguchi

Keynote Lecture 2: Prof. Kenneth Gavin

Theme Lectures and General Sessions:

ICPE 2024 featured presentations and questions from a wide range of perspectives.
In the theme session, Dr. Goh Teik Lim (Singapore), Mr. David Liaw (Singapore), and Mr. Tsunenobu Nozaki (Japan) gave
presentations on the application of the press-in method in Southeast Asia, including Singapore. In the general session, awide variety of topics were presented based on 64 papers submitted to ICPE, including the latest research results onpress-in engineering and construction case studies.

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Banquet:On the evening of the first day of the conference, a banquet was held, attended by 175 participants who enjoyed a mealand exchanged ideas. During the banquet, commemorative plaques were presented to individuals and companies who
contributed to ICPE2024, including the two keynote speakers, as a token of appreciation. The participants deepened theirinteractions in a relaxed atmosphere, making it a valuable opportunity to build future cooperative relationships.

Press-in Piling Live Demonstration:

On the third day of the conference, a press-in piling demonstration tour was held at the facilities of Guan Chuan
Engineering Pte., Ltd., a sponsor company and a member of the ICPE2024 Organizing Committee. The demonstration
featured the "GYRO PILERTM," introduced to Singapore for the first time last year by GIKEN LTD. of Japan. This press-in
piling machine can install steel tubular piles through existing structures and underground obstacles. Additionally, twoother machines were showcased: the "CRUSH PILERTM," which facilitates pile installation in hard ground such as sandy
gravel and bedrock, and the "ZERO PILERTM," which allows for pile installation in close proximity to boundary lines andadjacent structures. Each machine's features were demonstrated, allowing attendees to observe the machines in action
up close. This provided a deeper understanding of the technology and enabled participants to gain further specificknowledge through questions and answers.

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Industry Collaboration Meeting:On the afternoon of the second day of the conference, an informal industry collaboration meeting was held for thesponsor companies of ICPE2024, specifically involving press-in piling companies. The advancement of press-inengineering and the future expansion of press-in piling technology require collaboration between academia, industry,and government. Taking advantage of the ICPE opportunity, this session was organized to foster open dialogue from theperspective of press-in piling practitioners, explore the possibilities of building industry networks, and consider
frameworks like Japan Press-in Association (JPA). Discussions covered not only the needs for the education andcertification of press-in piling machine operators but also the possibilities for collaboration from a sustainability
perspective.

Inauguration of the New IPA President and the Next ICPE Venue:

At the IPA Board Meeting held the day before ICPE2024, Professor Kenneth Gavin of Delft University of Technology in the
Netherlands was inaugurated as the new President of the International Press-in Association (IPA). The next ICPE is planned
to be held in the Netherlands in 2027.

[Supplementation]
Overview of the International Press-in Association (IPA):
The International Press-in Association (IPA) is a global academic organization dedicated to advancing "Press-in
Engineering," a field that integrates geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering,measuring-surveying-monitoring engineering, and data and information processing. The IPA aims to combine theory andpractice through industry-academia-government collaboration to elucidate the mechanisms of interaction between the
ground and structures.
Since its establishment in 2007, the IPA has organized international conferences and workshops, published and awarded
academic papers, and issued guidelines for press-in method design and construction as well as case studies of press-in
piling technology applications. Particularly, the IPA has contributed to the advancement and dissemination of press-in
piling technology by forming and maintaining an international network of academic interest in press-in piling technology,
collecting and disseminating technical information, and providing venues for presenting research results and case studies.

Third International Conference on Press-in Engineering (ICPE2024) Conference Information
Organizers:- ICPE2024 Organizing Committee- International Press-in Association (IPA)
Co-organizers:- Centre for Soft Ground Engineering, National University of Singapore (NUS)- Geotechnical Society of Singapore (GeoSS)- Tunneling and Underground Construction Society, Singapore (TUCSS)
Support:- The Asian Civil Engineering Coordinating Council (ACECC)
Sponsors: 17 companies from 6 countries/regions (listed in alphabetical order)
Platinum Sponsor: GIKEN LTD.
Gold Sponsors:
Atsunew Giken Pte. Ltd./Oriental Castle
CHUEN CHANG ENTERPRISE CO.,LTD.
GIKEN SEKO CO., LTD.
GUAN CHUAN ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION PTE LTD
JFE Steel Corporation
NIPPON STEEL CORPORATIONSATO JUKI Corporation/ENFIVE PTE. LTD.
Sliver Sponsors:
Daesan Civil Technology
Kiso-Jiban Consultants Co., Ltd.
THAI FULLMORE CO.,LTD.
Bronze Sponsors: FUCHI Pte Ltd
JIAN MAN CONSTRUCTION PTE LTD
KAKUTO CORPORATION
Mlion Corporation Pte Ltd
Nippon Chemical Paint Co., Ltd.
Ozawa Civil Engineering and Construction Co.Ltd.

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Volume 9, Issue 3

September 2024

Young Members Column

Empirical Methods for Predicting Precast Jacked Pile Capacity– Case Studies in the Philippines
Benjamin B. Buensuceso III
MSCE, Managing Director
BRB Solutions Inc.

This paper details case studies of precast jacked piles tested with high-strain dynamic load pile tests in the Philippines.
The study explores the relationship between pile slenderness ratio (L/D), ultimate capacity, and final jacking force (Pjack).
It also evaluates empirical lower-bound predictions of capacity that utilize slenderness ratio and Pjack, and proposes lowerbound formulas more suitable for the collected data. 135 jacked, square, precast piles with slenderness ratios from 5 to
64 are included. The piles were installed using hydraulic static pile drivers that utilize dead weights for a reaction force,with the Pjack applied ranging from 132.5 to 378 tons.
The ratio of an ultimate capacity to Pjack, also known as pressure ratio, was found to be a function of the slenderness ratio.
Pressure ratios generally exceeded 1.0 for piles with slenderness ratios above 30, as seen in Fig. 1. This increase inpressure ratios for more slender piles is likely due to the greater dependence of these longer piles on skin resistance, withlong-term skin friction being significantly greater than the friction at the end of jacking.
Cases of pressure ratios below 1.0 were observed for L/D < 30. Zhang et al. (2006) hypothesized that the toe resistancemobilized for these lower slenderness piles estimated in load tests was less than the resistance mobilized during pile
jacking. For lower slenderness piles with pressure ratios closer to or above 1.0 observed, may have had similar toe
resistances during the load test and during installation, accompanied by some shaft resistance increase.
Actual pressure ratios and ultimate capacities were compared to two previously established empirical predictions from
Zhang et al. (2006) and AS-2159 (2009). All 135 jacked piles had actual pressure ratios above the 95% confidence line
predicted by Zhang et al. (2006), even when piles with relatively small sets during the dynamic load test (<2 mm needed
for good correlations with static load test capacity estimates) are included. Furthermore, 125 of the 135 (93%) jacked
piles in the case studies had actual capacities above a predicted geotechnical ultimate capacity (RUG) from AS-2159, which
was obtained using the final jacking force Pjack and empirical coefficients of jacking pressure (gp).
Finally, two new lower-bound pressure ratio formulas that are a function of slenderness are proposed, particularly to deal
with low-slenderness piles that cannot be adequately modeled by Zhang et al. (2006), which predicts negative pressure
ratios for L/D < 10. These new lower-bound functions are presented in Equations 1 and 2 and are graphically illustrated
in Fig. 1.

Fig 1. Alternative lower-bound formulas proposed for four cases studies
𝛼𝛼 = 0.298 (𝐿𝐿/𝐷𝐷)0.28

𝑔𝑔2 = 𝛼𝛼 =𝑥𝑥

18.188+0.631𝑥𝑥

29

(1)
(2)

Volume 9, Issue 3

September 2024

Announcement

Notice of Change in President, Vice Presidents, and Executive
Director

We announce that the IPA Board of Directors meeting held on 2 July 2024, following the resolutions adopted at theOrdinary General Assembly 2024 held from 13-24 May 2024, has elected the President, Vice Presidents, and Executive
Director for the 2024-2025 term.
New Organization:








Prof. Kenneth Gavin - Newly Appointed (Professor, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands)
Dr. Jiro Takemura - Newly Appointed (Technical advisor, TAKEMURA INDUSTRY Co.,Ltd., Japan)
Prof. Mounir Bouassida - Newly Appointed (University of Tunis El Manar - National Engineeringof School of Tunis, Tunisia)
Vice President:
Dr. Andrew McNamara - Reappointed (Senior Lecturer, City, University London, United Kingdom)
Vice President:
Dr. Ramin Motamed - Newly Appointed (Professor, University of Nevada Reno, United States)
Vice President:
Dr. Nor Azizi Bin Yusoff - Current (Senior Lecturer, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM),
Malaysia)*Dr. Nor Azizi Bin Yusoff is currently in his second year as Vice President for the2023- 2024 term
Executive Director: Dr. Osamu Kusakabe - Reappointed (Professor Emeritus, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan)

President:
Vice President:
Vice President:※ For more positions, please visit the following website:▼▼ URL ▼▼https://www.press-in.org/en/page/organization

Publication of the “IPA Terminology Database on Press-in
Engineering”
We are pleased to announce that the International Press-in Association (IPA) has compiled and is now publicly releasingthe "IPA Terminology Database on Press-in Engineering."
This terminology database aims to deepen the understanding of press-in engineering and facilitate information exchange
and knowledge sharing among stakeholders. Currently, it is available in English and Japanese, but we plan to expand its
content and include multilingual support in the future. We welcome suggestions for new terms, updates to existing ones,
and improvements to usability.
We hope that this glossary database will become a valuable resource for everyone involved in press-in engineering,supporting understanding and knowledge exchange in the field.
Please refer to the following URL to download the Terminology Database:https://www.press-in.org/en/publication/index/130Volume 9, Issue 3

September 2024

Event Diary
Title

Date

Venue

9 October 2024

Kanazawa, Japan■ IPA Events

https://www.press-in.org/en/event

IPA Press-in Seminar 2024 in Kanazawa■ International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering
http://www.issmge.org/events

77th Canadian Geotechnical Conference and the 16th
Joint CGS/IAH-CNC Groundwater Conference

15-18 September 2024

Montreal, Canada

Nordic Geotechnical Meeting - NGM 2024

18-20 September 2024

Göteborg, Sweden

IS-Grenoble 2024: International Symposium on
Geomechanics from Micro to Macro

23-28 September 2024

Grenoble, France

The 4th International Symposium on Risk Assessment
and Sustainable Stability Design of Slopes (ISRASSDSToronto 2024)

29 September -04
October 2024

Toronto, Canada

5th European Conference on Physical Modelling in
Geotechnics

2-4 October 2024

Delft, Netherlands

XVIII AFRICAN REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON SOIL
MECHANICS AND GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

6-9 October 2024

Algiers, Algeria

10th ASIAN YOUNG GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERS
CONFERENCE PERTEMUAN ILMIAH TAHUNAN HATTIXXVIII

11-14 November 2024

Indonesia, Jakarta

The 2nd GeoMandu: Geotechnics for Sustainable
Infrastructures

28-29 November 2024

Kathmandu, Nepal

DFI-India 2024: 13th Annual Conference

19-21 September 2024

Panaji, Goa, India

DFI 49th Annual Conference on Deep Foundations

7-10 October 2024

Aurora, Colorado■ Deep Foundations Institutehttps://www.dfi.org/events/

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Volume 9, Issue 3

32

September 2024

Volume 9, Issue 3

33

September 2024

Volume 9, Issue 3

September 2024

Editorial Remarks from persons in charge
A warm welcome to the September 2024 IPA Newsletter (Vol. 9, Issue 3). Through the newsletter, the IPA continues topromote resilience and sustainability-led agendas by encouraging and facilitating research on Press-in Engineering as well
as disseminate information on IPA activities. This issue immediately follows the 3rd International Conference on Press-in
Engineering (ICPE2024) held from 3-5 July 2024 at the National University of Singapore (NUS). We extend ourcongratulations and appreciation to everyone involved in organizing ICPE2024 for a very successful conference.
Included in this issue of the Newsletter are articles on the use of the Rapid Load Test (RLT) applied to Steel Pipe Piles
installed using the Gyropress Method and the development of empirical methods for predicting the axial capacity ofpushed-in precast concrete piles based on test data obtained in the Philippines, and an interview report with the Takenaka
Corporation. Also contained in this issue are messages from the Immediate Past President Prof. Leung Chun Fai, New
President Prof. Kenneth G. Gavin, and New IPA Director Prof. Marwan Shahin.
On behalf of the Editorial Board, we would like express our gratitude to everyone involved with preparing this edition.

Mark Albert H. Zarco

Jignasha Panchal

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Michael Doubrovsky