Innovative Geotechnics is an engineering company with the aim of researching and developing geotechnical design and analysis programs.
Innovative Geotechnics provides innovative geotechnical design tools for soil-structure interaction and deep foundation problems such as single piles or pile groups under lateral and vertical loads.
Single Piles and Pile Groups


Innovative Geotechnics provide geotechnical design tools for soil-structure interaction problems such as pile groups, laterally loaded piles, nonlinear p-y curve generation and rock socket design, including single piles or pile groups under lateral and vertical loading based on finite element method. Our programs are focused on the geotechnical analytical knowledge, improving user engagement and reducing potential input uncertainties.
All geotechnical programs and software adopt simple input interfaces for the users to interactively enter the analysis information such as soil layer information, soil properties, and foundation design parameters.
Key Features of Deep Foundation Design Programs
-
Finite element method based on Garlerkin formulation instead of lumped springs at the element node like the conventional finite difference method;
-
Powerful nonlinear solver based on the arc-length approach;
-
Nonlinear bending stiffness of piles;
-
Both static and cyclic behavior of soils for laterally loaded piles based on p-y curves;
-
Displacement loading for piles subject to soil movement based on the approach of Byrne et al. (1984); and
-
Easy to add, delete and insert different layers for soils and rocks;
-
A wide range of pile head loading conditions;
-
Easy to define pile batter and ground surface slope for laterally loaded single piles;
-
Easy to define various pile section types such as circular, rectangular, octagonal, H shape, Pipe and user-defined sections;
-
Easy to define varying bending stiffness along the pile length;
-
Easy to define pile spacing and pile layout for pile groups; and
-
Plotting nonlinear p-y and t-z curves for any location along the pile length;
-
Plotting deflection, bending moment, shear force, soil reaction, shaft and end bearing resistances and many other results;
-
Displaying pile load and settlement curve at the pile head for axial and lateral loading;
-
2D and 3D graphics outputs for the pile group analysis results; and
-
A wide range of as-built nonlinear p-y, t-z and q-w curves for cohesive soils, granular soils and rocks;
-
Simple elastic-plastic model for laterally loaded piles;
-
Elastic sub-grade modulus option for laterally loaded pile;
-
Spreadsheet-like grid tables for various load transfer curves;
-
Comprehensive analysis options for offshore pile foundations such as ICP method, Fugro method and UWA method; and
Download Demo
Software Products
Laterally loaded single piles
Axially loaded single piles
3D nonlinear analysis for pile groups under general loading
Rock socket analysis and design
Deep foundation analysis and design suite
CPT Data Interpretation Tool
Useful Links
-
Driven and bored piles for both onshore and offshore pile foundations;
-
Extensive methods to estimate ultimate shaft and end bearing resistance based on the recommendations from API and FHWA;
-
Meyerhof's approach with considering the influence effects of upper and lower soil layers on end bearing;
-
Resistance factors (strength reduction factors) can be specified for ultimate shaft and end bearing resistance for the design to be consistent with the limit state design concept;
-
Additional reduction factors available for plugged or unplugged steel pipe or H sections; and
-
Fleming (1992)'s approach for rock sockets;
-
Kulhawy and Carter (1992)'s method for rock sockets;
-
Load transfer method for rock socket settlement estimation;
-
Hong Kong Geoguide's approach for rock sockets under lateral loads;
-
Searching for critical dip angle of discontinuity for planar-discontinuity controlled failure surface for rock sockets;
-
Calculate the load-settlement curve at the top of rock socket for serviceability limit state design requirements; and
Screen Shots of Deep Foundation Programs
ALLCPT Released
ALLCPT is a software developed and designed by Innovative Geotechnics for practical engineering interpretation of Cone Penetration Test Data in routine geotechnical design. Some of the important features and benefits are summarised as follows:
-
Various strength and stiffness correlations based on measured CPT data, such as effective cohesion, effective friction angle, undrained shear strength, Young’s Modulus, Shear Modulus, Constrained Modulus, Equivalent SPT blow counts, etc.
-
Graphical presentation of various results for single or multiple CPT records with extensive selection options for the plot formats.
-
Cyclic liquefaction analysis tool which can be used to assess the liquefaction potential due to cyclic loading based on measured CPT data.
-
Flow liquefaction analysis tool which can be used to assess the flow liquefaction due to strain softening with a resulting loss of shear strength.
-
Pile capacity analysis tool for both driven piles and bored piles based on LCPC method as proposed by Bustamante and Gianeselli (1982). Users can consider (1) Eurocode 7; (2) ASSHTO Code and (3) AUS Piling Code for pile capacity design. The load-settlement curve is also estimated based on Fleming’s approach (1992) for axially loaded single piles.
-
Wick drain analysis tool to evaluate consolidation times for embankments on soft soils with the presence of wick drains based on single or double drainage conditions.
-
The imported CPT file can be exported into a file format which is compatible with Plaxis CPT input for soil layer creation.
CPT Interpretation Tool
PileAXL 2.3 Released with Significant Improvements
PileAXL 2.3 is formally released with the following updates:
-
Fully support a wide range of design standards such as Allowable stress design, ASSHTO, Eurocode 7 - UK National Annex, Eurocode 7 - Singapore National Annex, Eurocode 7 - General and Australian Piling Standard AS 2159-2009;
-
The position of the pile head can be specified below the ground surface, which allows the users to consider the situations where the top of the pile could be further below the surface;
-
Two different analysis options are available for load-settlement assessment of piles under axial load: (1) Load transfer method with using automatically generated t-z and q-w curves and (2) Fleming's method;
-
The empirical approach based on SPT-N values for estimating ultimate shaft resistance and ultimate end-bearing resistance based on the recommendations in CIRIA Report 143 (1995).
A program for axially loaded piles
PileSuite Released
PileSuite is a powerful suite of software products for deep foundation analysis and design for both onshore and offshore projects. It contains four main programs for nonlinear pile group analysis under general loading, laterally loaded single piles, axially loaded single piles and rock socket design.
A complete software suite for deep foundation design and analysis
Case study with using PileAXL for a steel pipe pile driven into stiff over-consolidated clay in Houston
The case reported by Kraft et al. (1981) is analyzed with PileAXL program. That case is about the axial loading tests on single piles and pile groups driven into a stiff over-consolidated clay at a site located on the University of Houston Campus.
PileAXL
PileAXL 2.2 Released with more improvements
PileAXL 2.2 is released with the following improvements:
​
-
The default value of Beta parameters for FHWA sand, Rollins gravelly sand and Rollins gravel models (bored piles) are correctly estimated in accordance with the depth of the selected soil layer top. In the previous version, the default Beta value calculated in accordance with the ground surface (zero depth) is presented in the dialog. This presentation issue is now fixed.
-
Negative skin friction option is now included and this allows the users to consider negative skin friction for both pile axial capacity assessment and pile settlement calculation.
PileAXL