Bracing of deep foundation elements - Pile

[rabroke]

Per IBC 2009 Section 1810.2.2, deep foundation elements (piles in my case) shall be braced to provide lateral stability in all directions. It goes on to say 3 piles in a pile cap provide this bracing, etc. That's fine, and I'm used to doing that for building foundations.
Now, I will be designing the foundations for a parking canopy that requires piles. In talks with the geotech engineer, he told me in the past, they have done a single pile for each of the canopy posts. That seems to contradict what the code requires for lateral bracing of the piles, but I don't doubt he has done it that way before. The exceptions in the code don't seem to be applicable to this situation, so I wanted to know if there may be something I am missing that would allow a single isolated pile, either concrete filled steel pipe or timber, at each column. Any thoughts?

 

[VoyageofDiscovery]

Looks like using this Code limits design concepts to braced deep fdns. I don't particularly agree with this blanket approach especially in earthquake country.

 

[ishvaaag]

It may be not acceptable to your intent, but two way bracing between single piles can be provided either through beams on the ground or competent slab on the ground. This uses to be employed on single piles.

When the pile cap holds two piles, bracing between pilecaps is provided with beams on the ground perpendicularly -or at a substantial angle- to the line that links the piles on the ground.

As you say, for pile caps with 3 or more piles, bracing between pile caps is considered avoidable if not wanted.