A reliability-based approach is presented to design an offshore piole foundation without a site-specific boring. The essence of this approach is to provide the same level of reliability for the pile foundation, whether or not a site-specific boring is used in its deisng. Design charts are provided to apply this approach within the frameworks of both the Load and Resistance Factor Design code and the older working Stress Design code. The design charts relate design factors to the magnitude of uncertainty in pile capacity resulting from the lack of s site-specific boring. This reliability-based approach can be applied both to design a new pile fojndation and to requalify an existing pile foundation. It can also be used to make cost-benefit decision about the need for and optimal amount of addiional site information, such as soil borings or geophysics. Examples are provided to demonstrate its use both in the design of piles and design of site investigation programs.
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