Proposing new models to predict pile set-up in cohesive soils

This paper represents a comparative study in which Gene Expression Programming (GEP), Group Method of Data Handling (GMDH), and multiple linear regressions (MLR) were utilized to derive new equations for the prediction of time-dependent bearing capacity of pile foundations driven in cohesive soil, technically called pile set-up. This term means that many piles which are installed in cohesive soil experience a noticeable increase in bearing capacity after a specific time. Results of researches indicate that side resistance encounters more increase than toe resistance. The main reason leading to pile setup in saturated soil has been found to be the dissipation of excess pore water pressure generated in the process of pile installation, while in unsaturated conditions aging is the major justification. In this study, a comprehensive dataset containing information about 169 test piles was obtained from literature reviews used to develop the models. to prepare the data for further developments using intelligent algorithms, Data mining techniques were performed as a fundamental stage of the study. To verify the models, the data were randomly divided into training and testing datasets. The most striking difference between this study and the previous researches is that the dataset used in this study includes different piles driven in soil with varied geotechnical characterization; therefore, the proposed equations are more generalizable. According to the evaluation criteria, GEP was found to be the most effective method to predict set-up among the other approaches developed earlier for the pertinent research.