Experimental Testing of a Full-Scale Pile Group under Lateral Loading

Abstract eng:
Full-Scale cyclic field testing was performed on a 3x3 pile group and a separate single fixed-head pile to evaluate group interaction effects. The piles in each experiment were constructed as 0.6 m diameter reinforced concrete shafts with reinforcement extending into caps at the ground surface. The piles were designed as CIDH (Cast-in-drilled-hole) piles and were embedded in predominantly clayey soil. The single pile and three piles within the group were instrumented internally; external instrumentation was used to for controlling the lateral displacement and to monitor cap rotation. Lateral loading was applied using four hydraulic actuators mounted between the pile caps and a reaction block. The single pile was loaded cyclically over the full range of displacements and achieved a maximum lateral capacity of 1210 kN at a displacement amplitude of 7.6 cm. The group specimen reached its maximum lateral capacity of 10.2 MN at a lateral displacement of 10.2 cm and was tested to a maximum displacement of 25 cm. Analytical studies have been performed to account for differing reinforcement ratios of 2% in the single pile shaft and 1% in the group shafts. Group efficiency factors were calculated using the measured group pile results and an analytically developed load deflection relationship for the single pile. Group factors varied from approximately 0.6 – 0.65 at small displacements (0.3 and 0.9 cm) to values near unity at the point of structural failure.

• Export as: BibTeX | MARC | MARCXML | DC | EndNote | NLM | RefWorks
• Add to your basket