Pile bearing capacity of the new bridge over Zambezi River (Mozambique): Predictions and performance of static load test results Nuno Cruz Direcção de Geotecnia da MOTA-ENGIL; Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal Paulo Pinto Dpt. Engenharia Civil da Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal António Viana da Fonseca Fac. Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Portugal Ricardo Andrade Direcção de Geotecnia da MOTA-ENGIL ABSTRACT: The evaluation of pile bearing capacity is dependent on the interpretation of the pile head load-settlement curve and the determination of the shaft and toe resistances in careful and well instrumented tests. It is then possible to calibrate design methods with load transfer curves at different depths for progressive loading levels. In the New Zambezi Bridge (Caia – Chimuara, Mozambique) deep foundations have been designed taking into consideration different methodologies: methods based directly in SPT data (Reese & O’Neill) and methods based in CPT data (Bustamante & Frank, 1999), giving rise to some scatter in final results. For the complete and trustful solution, static load tests on some piles were executed using the Osterberg test method, in order to obtain a simple way to evaluate shaft load transfer and define the applicability of each empirical methodology. Results of this comparative analysis are proposed and some suggestions are presented for regional practice. 1. INTRODUCTION Evaluation of bearing capacity of piles (base and side friction) as well as the associated settlements for its full mobilization is a matter of great discussion in foundation engineering. Pile load testing is an important tool to calibrate and validate design models for any specific situation, as well as to achieve a better understanding of its adequacy. In this work, the data related to the foundation design of the new Zambezi River Bridge (Mozambique) is presented and discussed, based in the results of Osterberg Pile Testing. 2. GEOLOGY The geology in the study area is fully described in the 1:1.000.000 geologic map “Moçambique”, by Instituto Nacional de Geologia do Ministério dos Recursos Minerais. Alongside with the above mentioned geological map several other documents were also taken into consideartion. 35