Pile setup in cohesive soils has been a known phenomenon for several decades. However, a systematic field investigation to provide the needed data to develop analytical procedures and integrate pile setup into the design method rarely exists. This paper summarizes a recently completed field investigation on five fully instrumented steel H-piles embedded in cohesive soils, while a companion paper discusses the development of the pile setup method. During the field investigation, detailed soil characterization, monitoring of soil total lateral stress and pore-water pressure, collection of pile dynamic restrike data as a function of time, and vertical static load tests were completed. Restrike measurements confirm that pile setup occurs at a logarithmic rate following the end of driving, and its development correlates well with the rate of dissipation of the measured porewater pressure. Based on the field data collected, it was concluded that the skin friction component, not the end bearing, contributes predominantly to the setup, which can be accurately estimated for practical purposes using soil properties, such as coefficient of consolidation, undrained shear strength, and the standard penetration testN-value
