Section 27-694. Capping and bracing of piles

(a) Capping of piles.
    (1)  EMBEDMENT.  Tops  of  all  piles shall be embedded at least three
  inches in concrete caps. Such concrete shall conform to  the  provisions
  of  article  five  of subchapter ten of this chapter and shall extend at
  least four inches beyond the edge of all piles. Alternatively, and  only
  where  the  piles  project  above  the  future grade and will be readily
  accessible for visual inspection at all times, the tops of the piles may
  be capped with timber or steel caps, which shall  be  connected  to  the
  piles.  Cap  plates will not be required for steel H piles embedded in a
  reinforced concrete cap. Inspection of pile caps shall be as required in
  section 27-722 of article thirteen of this subchapter.
    (2) UPLIFT. Where piles are subject to uplift, they shall be  anchored
  into  the  cap  to  resist at least one and one-half times the amount of
  such  uplift  without  exceeding  the  basic   allowable   stresses   as
  established in subchapter ten.
    (3)  REINFORCEMENT.  Reinforcement shall be placed to provide at least
  three inches of clear cover, measured to the surface  of  the  pile  cap
  that is in contact with the ground. All reinforcement adjacent to timber
  or  concrete  piling  shall  have  a  minimum  of  one  inch of concrete
  protection. Reinforcement shall extend to  within  four  inches  of  the
  edges of the pile cap.
    (4)  DESIGN.  Except  as  modified  above, concrete pile caps shall be
  designed in accordance with the  provisions  of  reference  standard  RS
  10-3.
    (b)  Bracing  of  piles.  Except  for  short  piles  as  described  in
  subdivision (c) of this section, every pile shall be laterally braced to
  conform with one or more of the following provisions:
    (1) RIGID CAP. Three or more piles connected by a rigid cap  shall  be
  considered as being braced provided that the piles are located in radial
  directions  from  the  centroid of the group not less than sixty degrees
  apart (within a tolerance of three inches in location of  the  pile.)  A
  two-pile  group,  in a rigid cap, shall be considered to be braced along
  the axis connecting the two piles.
    (2) BRACE BEAMS. Piles may be braced by the use of brace beams or ties
  rigidly connecting to at least two other piles in radial directions  not
  less  than sixty degrees nor more than one hundred twenty degrees apart.
  Concrete brace beams shall have minimum dimensions of  one-twentieth  of
  the  clear  distance  between pile caps, but not less than eight inches.
  All brace beams shall be proportioned to resist  a  minimum  axial  load
  equal  to  three  per cent of the total axial load capacity of the piles
  that are to be  braced  by  that  beam,  plus  the  moment  due  to  any
  eccentricity  between  the  centroid  of  the pile group and the line of
  action of the applied load. Where underlain by soil of class 9-65, 10-65
  or 11-65, brace beams shall be proportioned to  support  the  weight  of
  soil,  slab-on-ground,  and  live  load  on  the  slab-on-ground that is
  contained within vertical  planes  projected  upward  from  the  lateral
  limits  of  the  brace  beam.  The design of brace beams to resist these
  loads shall conform to the provision of subchapter ten of this chapter.
    (3) CONCRETE SLAB-ON-GRADE. A  continuous  concrete  slab  or  mat  on
  grade, that is five inches or more in thickness and reinforced, and that
  extends  at  least  forty  feet in each direction and is anchored to the
  pile caps (or in which the piles are embedded at  least  three  inches),
  may  be  used in lieu of brace beams for bracing of pile caps, providing
  that the slab is supported  on  material  having  an  allowable  bearing
  pressure  of  one  and  one-half tons per square foot or better and such
  material is not underlain by nominally unsatisfactory bearing materials.
    (4) OTHER MEANS. Piles may be braced by anchors, anchor wall, or other
  means acceptable to the commissioner.

    (5) FLOOR SYSTEM. Single-pile or two-pile groups or a single  line  of
  piles  may  be  considered  to be adequately braced if connected to, and
  braced by, a self supporting floor system provided: (1) that the details
  and dimensions of the floor  and  the  wall  or  pier  are  of  adequate
  strength to resist lateral displacement of the pile cap under conditions
  of  maximum  eccentricity  of the applied load; and (2) that the wall or
  pier is braced until connection of the floor framing  is  made  and  the
  flooring (or slab) is in place.
    (6)  SPECIAL  REQUIREMENTS FOR BRACING BATTER PILES. The provisions of
  paragraphs one through five of this subdivision above  shall  apply.  In
  addition,  provisions  shall  be  made  to  oppose  the  lateral  thrust
  resulting from the pile inclination.
    (c) Bracing of short piles.
    (1) All pile caps supported by piles that penetrate less than ten feet
  below cutoff level or less than ten feet below  ground  level  shall  be
  braced  against lateral movement. Such bracing may consist of connection
  to other pile caps that encompass piles  embedded  more  than  ten  feet
  below  those  levels;  the  use  of  suitable  anchors,  connection to a
  slab-on-grade or the floor system as described in paragraphs  three  and
  five  of  subdivision (b) of this section, or by other equivalent means.
  The heads of the piles shall be fixed in the cap. In no event shall more
  than fifty percent of the  piles  in  the  foundation  of  any  building
  penetrate  less  than ten feet below cut-off-level or less than ten feet
  below ground level.
    (2) Where the embedded length of piles located near a lot  line  would
  be reduced to less than ten feet by excavation of the adjacent site to a
  depth  of  ten  feet  below  the  nearest  established  curb  level, the
  provisions of paragraph one of this subdivision shall apply.