This work presents a comparative analysis about the behaviour of pile caps supported by 3 piles subjected to axial loading.
Piles with 20 cm and 30 cm diameters were analysed. The main reinforcement was maintained in all the specimens, however, the
arrangement of the secondary reinforcement varied. The main reinforcement consisted of steel bars connecting the piles. The
secondary reinforcement was made up of: (a) bars going through the piles and through the projection of the column, (b) bars
forming a network, and (c) vertical and horizontal stirrups. The main objective was the observation of the pile cap behaviour
regarding the cracks and the modes of rupture. The real scale specimens were subjected to experimental tests until failure
by rupture. Instruments were placed with the aim to obtain the displacement of the bases, the strains in the main and secondary
reinforcement bars, in the compression struts, in the lower and upper nodal zones and in the sides of the caps. None of the
caps reached failure by rupture with a load less than 1.12 times the theoretical load. The specimens ruptured due to the cracking
of the compression strut and/or the yielding of the reinforcement bars in one direction.
Keywords Rigid Pile Caps - Reinforced Concrete - Experimental Runs - Strut-and Tie Model - Structural Design