A Reliable Method of Pile Load Test on Cast-in-Situ Pile Group of Existing Building for Retrofitting

Following the foundation failure of a building, with an aim of economical solution to strengthen other existing buildings of the same project, a new arrangement was implemented experimentally to test the adequacy of load bearing capacity of a few selected cast-in-situ RCC （reinforced cement concrete） pile groups without demolishing the existing buildings. In this test, the column bottom of an existing building was removed by the help of scaffolding and after that a frame system consisting tension piles and hollow beam was constructed over the pile cap of the to be tested pile group. The load was tested by the help of hydraulic jack system and the constructed frame system. This paper contains the detailed plan, arrangement and method of the test with illustrations. The deflection and loading data analysis is also included which was performed to determine the outcome of the test. Through this test method the appropriate assessment of capacity of pile group of existing building could be done successfully and in result the structure could be saved by only super structure retrofitting.

Field testing of stiffened deep cement mixing piles under lateral cyclic loading

Construction of seaside and underground wall bracing often uses stiffened deep cement mixed columns （SDCM）. This research investigates methods used to improve the level of bearing capacity of these SDCM when subjected to cyclic lateral loading via various types of stiffer cores. Eight piles, two deep cement mixed piles and six stiffened deep cement mixing piles with three different types of cores, H shape cross section prestressed concrete, steel pipe, and H-beam steel, were embedded though soft clay into medium-hard clay on site in Thailand. Cyclic horizontal loading was gradually applied until pile failure and the hysteresis loops of lateral load vs. lateral deformation were recorded. The lateral carrying capacities of the SDCM piles with an H-beam steel core increased by 3-4 times that of the DCM piles. This field research clearly shows that using H-beam steel as a stiffer core for SDCM piles is the best method to improve its lateral carrying capacity, ductility and energy dissipation capacity.

Model tests on XCC-piled embankment under dynamic train load of high-speed railways

Piled embankments,which offer many advantages,are increasingly popular in construction of high-speed railways in China.Although the performance of piled embankment under static loading is well-known,the behavior under the dynamic train load of a high-speed railway is not yet understood.In light of this,a heavily instrumented piled embankment model was set up,and a model test was carried out,in which a servo-hydraulic actuator outputting M-shaped waves was adopted to simulate the process of a running train.Earth pressure,settlement,strain in the geogrid and pile and excess pore water pressure were measured.The results show that the soil arching height under the dynamic train load of a high-speed railway is shorter than under static loading.The growth trend for accumulated settlement slowed down after long-term vibration although there was still a tendency for it to increase.Accumulated geogrid strain has an increasing tendency after long-term vibration.The closer the embankment edge,the greater the geogrid strain over the subsoil.Strains in the pile were smaller under dynamic train loads,and their distribution was different from that under static loading.At the same elevation,excess pore water pressure under the track slab was greater than that under the embankment shoulder.

Static load test and load transfer mechanism study of squeezed branch and plate pile in collapsible loess foundation

As a special geological phenomenon, the character of collapsible loess foundation is collapsible when penetrated by water. This character leads to the soil losing load bearing capacity largely and may lead to foundation failure. Pile is a popular foundation used in collapsible loess. The squeezed branch and plate pile is a new type of pile developed in recent years and has not be used in a project before. In this paper three squeezed branch and plate piles are tested in collapsible loess after immersion processing. The results may be used for reference in similar construction project, and to provide theoretical references for de- signing of the squeezed branch and plate piles in engineering practice.

Field load testing of copper extraction aeration pipes under simulated high heap pile

Recently a research team at Ohio University,USA,conducted a unique full-scale feld load test to simulate the aeration pipe installations at a copper extraction mine operated in Chile.The overliner material taken from the mine was used in recreating the in situ conditions.Electric heaters were utilized to raise the temperature inside each pipe to simulate the essential element of the copper extraction process.The maximum vertical deflection reached by the test pipes was close to 20%,when the simulated heap pile height was 80 m.The plastic pipes and the overliner material were also tested in the laboratory.Based on the results,the maximum heap pile fll depth was recommended for the aeration system.The results indicated that the vertical deflection was the primary performance index for the aeration pipes installed in heap piles at mines.Lastly,the pipe made of polypropylene resin was super.

Discussion on pile axial load test methods and their applicability in cold regions

The measurement of pile axial load is of great significance to determining pile foundation design parameters such as skin friction and end bearing capacity and analyzing load transfer mechanisms.Affected by the temperature and ice content of frozen ground,the interface contact relationship between pile foundation and frozen soil is complicated,making pile axial load measurements more uncertain than that in non-frozen ground.Therefore,it is necessary to gain an in-depth understanding of the current pile axial load test methods.Four methods are systematically reviewed:vibrating wire sensors,strain gauges,sliding micrometers,and optical fiber strain sensors.At the same time,the applicability of the four test methods in frozen soil regions is discussed in detail.The first two methods are mature and commonly used.The sliding micrometer is only suitable for short-term measurement.While the Fiber Bragg grating(FBG)strain gauge meets the monitoring requirements,the Brillouin optical time-domain reflectometer(BOTDR)needs further verification.This paper aims to provide a technical reference for selecting and applying different methods in the pile axial load test for the stability study and bearing capacity assessment of pile foundations in cold regions.

Application of bi-directional static loading test to deep foundations

Bi-directional static loading test adopting load cells is widely used around the world at present, with increase in diameter and length of deep foundations. In this paper, a new simple conversion method to predict the equivalent pile head load-settlement curve considering elastic shortening of deep foundation was put forward according to the load transfer mechanism. The proposed conversion method was applied to root caisson foundation in a bridge and to large diameter pipe piles in a sea wind power plant. Some new load cells, test procedure, and construction technology were adopted based on the applications to different deep foundations, which could enlarge the application scopes of bi-directional loading test. A new type of bi-directional loading test for pipe pile was conducted, in which the load cell was installed and loaded after the pipe pile with special connector has been set up. Unlike the conventional bi-directional loading test, the load cell can be reused and shows an evident economic benefit.

Dynamic soil arching in piled embankment under train load of high-speed railways

Piled embankments have many advantages that have been applied in high-speed railway construction engineering.However,the load transfer mechanism of piled embankments,such as soil arching and tension membranes,is still unclear,especially under dynamic loads.To investigate the soil arching and tension membrane under dynamic train loads on high-speed railways,a large-scale piled embankment model test with X-shaped piles as vertical reinforcement was performed,in which twenty-eight earth pressure cells were installed in the piled embankment and an M-shaped wave was adopted to simulate the high-speed railway train load.The results show that dynamic soil arching only occurs when two bogies of a carriage pass by and disappears at other times.The dynamic soil arching and membrane effect are the most significant under the concrete base.The arching height,stress concentration ratio and pile-soil load sharing ratio have a minimal value at 25 Hz.The dynamic soil arching degrades severely at 25 Hz,whose height at 25 Hz is only 0.35 times that at 5 Hz.The arching height fluctuates over a narrow range with increasing loading amplitude.The stress concentration ratio and the pile-soil load sharing ratio increase monotonically as the loading amplitude increases.

Reliability of design approaches for axially loaded offshore piles and its consequences with respect to the North Sea

In the near future, several offshore wind farms are planned to be built in the North Sea. Therefore, jacket and tripod constructions with mainly axially loaded piles are suitable as support structures. The current design of axial bearing resistance of these piles leads to deviant results regarding the pile resistance when different design methods are adopted. Hence, a strong deviation regarding the required pile length must be addressed. The reliability of a design method can be evaluated based on a model error which describes the quality of the considered design method by comparing measured and predicted pile bearing resistances. However, only few pile load tests are reported with regard to the boundary conditions in the North Sea. This paper presents 6 large-scale axial pile load tests which were incorporated within a new model error approach for the current design methods used for the axial bearing resistance,namely API Main Text method and cone penetration test(CPT)-based design methods, such as simplified ICP-05, offshore UWA-05, Fugro-05 and NGI-05 methods. Based on these new model errors, a reliabilitybased study towards the safety was conducted by performing a Monte-Carlo simulation. In addition,consequences regarding the deterministic pile design in terms of quality factors were evaluated. It is shown that the current global safety factor(GSF) prescribed and the partial safety factors are only valid for the API Main Text and the offshore UWA-05 design methods; whereas for the simplified ICP-05,Fugro-05 and NGI-05 design methods, an increase in the required embedded pile length and thus in the GSF up to 2.69, 2.95 and 3.27, respectively, should be considered to satisfy the desired safety level according to DIN EN 1990 of b ? 3.8. Further, quality factors for each design method on the basis of all reliability-based design results were derived. Hence, evaluation of each design method regarding the reliability of the pile capacity prediction is possible.

Analysis and design of axially loaded piles in rock

Despite significant advancements in in situ test techniques,construction practices,understanding of rock joint and rock mass behaviours,and numerical analysis methods,the design of bored concrete cast-insitu piles in rock is still largely based on the assessment of bearing capacity.However,for many of the rock conditions encountered,the bearing capacity of piles is a nebulous concept and a figment of the designer’s imagination.Even if it can be reasonably quantified,it has little,if any,significance to the performance of a pile in rock.The load carrying capacity of even low strength rock(in most situations)is far in excess of the strength of the structure(for example,a building column)transmitting the load.Unsatisfactory performance of a pile in rock is usually a displacement issue and is a function of rock mass stiffness rather than rock mass strength.In addition,poor pile performance is much more likely to result from poor construction practices than excessive displacement of the rock mass.Exceptions occur for footings that are undermined,or where unfavourable structure in the rock allows movement towards a free surface to occur.Standards,codes of practices,reference books and other sources of design information should focus foundation design in rock on displacement rather than strength performance.Ground investigations should measure rock mass stiffness and defect properties,as well as intact rock strength.This paper summarises the fundamental concepts relating to performance of piles in rock and provides a basis for displacement focused design of piles in rock.It also presents comments relating to how piles are modelled in widely used commercial finite element software for soil-structure interaction analysis,within the context of the back-analysis of a pile load test,and proposes recommendations for pile analysis and design.

Experimental study on repeatedly loaded foundation soil strengthened by wraparound geosynthetic reinforcement technique

In the recent past,the potential benefits of wraparound geosynthetic reinforcement technique for constructing the reinforced soil foundations have been reported.This paper presents the experimental study on the behaviour of model strip footing resting on sandy soil bed reinforced with geosynthetic in wraparound and planar forms under monotonic and repeated loadings.The geosynthetic layers were laid according to the reinforcement ratio to minimise the scale effect.It is found that for the same amount of reinforcement material,the wraparound reinforced model resulted in less settlement in comparison to planar reinforced models.The efficiency of wraparound reinforced model increased with the increase in load amplitude and the rate of total cumulative settlement substantially decreased with the increase in number of load cycles.The wraparound reinforced model has shown about 45% lower average total settlement in comparison to unreinforced model,while the double-layer reinforced model has about 41% lower average total settlement at the cost of approximately twice the material and 1.5 times the occupied land width ratio.Moreover,wraparound models have shown much greater stability in comparison to their counterpart models when subjected to incremental repeated loading.

Uplift behavior and load transfer mechanism of prestressed high-strength concrete piles

Prestressed high-strength-concrete (PHC) tube-shaped pile is one of the recently used foundations for soft soil. The research on uplift resistance of PHC pile is helpful to the design of pile foundations. A field-scale test program was conducted to study the uplift behavior and load transfer mechanism of PHC piles in soft soil. The pullout load tests were divided into two groups with different diameters, and there were three piles in each group. A detailed discussion of the axial load transfer and pile skin resistance distribution was also included. It is found from the tests that the uplift capacity increases with increasing the diameter of pile. When the diameter of piles increases from 500 to 600 mm, the uplift load is increased by 51.2%. According to the load-displacement (Q-S) curves, all the piles do not reach the ultimate state at the maximum load. The experimental results show that the piles still have uplift bearing capacity.

Numerical modeling of centrifuge cyclic lateral pile load experiments

To gain insight into the inelastic behavior of piles, the response of a vertical pile embedded in dry sand and subjected to cyclic lateral loading was studied experimentally in centrifuge tests conducted in Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussees. Three types of cyclic loading were applied, two asymmetric and one symmetric with respect to the unloaded pile. An approximately square-root variation of soil stiffness with depth was obtained from indirect in-flight density measurements, laboratory tests on reconstituted samples, and well-established empirical correlations. The tests were simulated using a cyclic nonlinear Winkler spring model, which describes the full range of inelastic phenomena, including separation and re-attachment of the pile from and to the soil. The model consists of three mathematical expressions capable of reproducing a wide variety of monotonic and cyclic experimentalp-y curves. The physical meaning of key model parameters is graphically explained and related to soil behavior. Comparisons with the centrifuge test results demonstrate the general validity of the model and its ability to capture several features of pile-soil interaction, including： soil plastification at an early stage of loading, ＂pinching＂ behavior due to the formation of a relaxation zone around the upper part of the pile, and stiffness and strength changes due to cyclic loading. A comparison of the p-y curves derived from the test results and the proposed model, as well as those from the classical curves of Reese et al. （1974） for sand, is also presented.

Behavior of Pile Group with Elevated Cap Subjected to Cyclic Lateral Loads

The pile group with elevated cap is widely used as foundation of offshore structures such as turbines, power transmission towers and bridge piers, and understanding its behavior under cyclic lateral loads induced by waves, tide water and winds, is of great importance to designing. A large-scale model test on 3×3 pile group with elevated cap subjected to cyclic lateral loads was performed in saturated silts. The preparation and implementation of the test is presented. Steel pipes with the outer diameter of 114 mm, thickness of 4.5 mm, and length of 6 m were employed as model piles. The pile group was cyclic loaded in a multi-stage sequence with the lateral displacement controlled. In addition, a single pile test was also conducted at the same site for comparison. The displacement of the pile cap, the internal forces of individual piles, and the horizontal stiffness of the pile group are presented and discussed in detail. The results indicate that the lateral cyclic loads have a greater impact on pile group than that on a single pile, and give rise to the significant plastic strain in the soil around piles. The lateral loads carried by each row of piles within the group would be redistributed with loading cycles. The lateral stiffness of the pile group decreases gradually with cycles and broadly presents three different degradation patterns in the test. Significant axial forces were measured out in some piles within the group, owing to the strong restraint provided by the cap, and finally lead to a large settlement of the pile group. These findings can be referred for foundation designing of offshore structures.

Experimental study on DX pile performance in frozen soils under lateral loading

Experiments about working mechanism and mechanical characteristics of the DX model pile foundation under lateral dynamic and static loading were conducted by using a model system of the dynamic frozen soil-pile interaction. The horizontal displacement-force relationship of the pile head and bending moment distribution along the body in frozen soils of different temperatures were discussed. According to test results, both the horizontal disp!acement-force relationship of the DX pile head and bending moment distribution of the DX pile body are smaller than that of equal-diameter piles under same lateral loads. The piles with different plate positions show different displacements and bending moments. This phenomenon is mainly related to the soil temperature and bearing plates locations. Thus, dynamic response analysis of the pile foundation should be taken into account.

Axial Load Capacity of Cast in Place Piles from SPT and CPTU Data

This paper aims to deal with the assessment of axial load capacity for cast in place pile foundations, which are made by the earth drill method, by using the data taken from Standard Penetration Tests (SPTs) and Piezocone Penetration Tests (CPTUs). These tests were carried out as part of the investigation program for P.N.G. Terminal-Power Plant, near Semani beach, in Hoxhara marsh, in the western part of Albania. The design of axial load capacity of piles is based on empirical formula using SPT and CPTU values. This study presents the results of axial load capacity analysis of cast in place piles by different analytical calculation methods, which are based on in situ tests results, and also referring to the Building Standard Law of Japan. In the end of our work, differences between calculations methods by using different in situ tests results are shown in tables and graphs.

洞桩法地铁车站边桩结构受力机制的模型试验设计

为了方便学生更形象地理解洞桩法地铁车站边桩结构的受力机制,该文以广州地区某洞桩法地铁车站工程为依托,设计了一种简化的洞桩法车站边桩结构模型试验。基于该试验方法,演示分析了边桩结构在洞桩法车站开挖过程中的施工力学行为规律,并对比研究了不同桩型布置参数下的桩后土压力、边桩结构的力学和变形规律。通过该试验,为学生展示了洞桩法边桩结构模型的设计、制作、试验具体操作及数据监测的全过程,从而让学生更好地掌握洞桩法车站边桩结构力学行为演变规律,以及采用不同边桩布置型式的力学行为差异。

串珠状溶洞数量影响灌注桩顶部水平受拉特性试验研究

采用室内模型试验,对比研究串珠状溶洞数量对灌注桩顶部水平受拉特性的影响,为岩溶强发育区嵌岩桩的水平承载力设计提供试验依据.结果表明:1)桩顶水平荷载相同时,上部土层段桩身水平位移、桩身弯矩(峰值)、桩侧土抗力随溶洞数量的增多而增大,单桩水平承载力随溶洞数量增多而明显减弱.2)上部土层段桩身水平位移随桩顶水平荷载增大而增大,桩顶水平位移最大,嵌岩段很小甚至为0;弯矩M-深度z曲线整体呈抛物线形,桩身弯矩在土岩界面和上层溶洞与底板界面呈现2个峰值,弯矩的变化仅仅影响到上层溶洞及其底板,第2层溶洞及其以下的弯矩几乎为0,土岩界面弯矩最大、截面最危险;土抗力p-深度z曲线呈“凸肚”形.3)溶洞数量增加,位置越高,p-y曲线越容易收敛,可以采用p/pub=α(y/y50)β拟合土层段的桩身p-y曲线.溶洞数量对α与β值变化幅度的影响较小,α与β值变化幅度体现p-y曲线随深度变化的敏感度,两者敏感度随溶洞数量增多而增大.4)工程桩刺穿串珠状溶洞时,为了提高单桩水平抗拉能力,建议采用注浆法改善上部岩土性质,加大土岩界面处桩身配筋率,并将桩身嵌入上层溶洞底板一定深度,防止基桩在土岩界面处发生弯曲破坏.

扩底桩竖向承载特性及群桩效应研究

为探明扩底群桩竖向承载特性,采用扩底桩筏结构,开展单桩(扩径比分别为1.5、2.0、2.5、3.0)和桩筏(扩径比为2)基础静载模型试验,分析其荷载传递规律,并建立桩间距为3.75、4.00、4.50、5.00倍桩直径时扩底桩筏基础有限元模型,研究桩间距对群桩效应影响。结果表明:扩底单桩和扩底桩筏结构荷载沉降曲线均为缓变型;扩底桩极限承载力随扩径比增大而逐渐增大,扩径比2.5~3.0时极限承载力增幅变缓,建议扩底桩扩径比取2.5~3.0;由于桩土共同沉降,桩间土压缩,桩土作用更充分,扩底桩筏基础中心桩侧摩阻力荷载分担比比扩底单桩增大了17.71%;群桩效应系数随桩间距增大而逐渐增大,桩间距为4.5~5.0倍桩直径时群桩效应系数增幅较小,群桩效应较弱,建议扩底桩筏基础桩间距取值不小于4.5倍桩直径。

桩板式路基引扩孔灌浆后植入桩的承载特性

为了探明桩板路基结构中引扩孔灌浆后植入预制混凝土桩的承载特性和荷载传递机制,以G3W德阳-上饶高速公路合肥至枞阳段桩板路基桩基工程为依托,开展了2组不同扩孔条件下孔内灌入砂浆后植入预制桩的静载荷试验。考虑植入桩中内部芯桩、外围砂浆固结体与周围土三者的相互作用,基于界面剪切试验,揭示了芯桩-砂浆界面、砂浆-土界面剪切性能的非线性,并分别建立了砂浆-土界面双曲线剪切模型和芯桩混凝土-砂浆界面弹性-破坏剪切模型。在此基础上,构建了引扩孔灌浆后植入桩三维数值分析模型。现场载荷试验结果验证了数值模型的可靠性,并对引扩孔灌浆后植入桩的荷载传递机制和影响因素进行了数值分析。结果表明:引扩孔灌浆后植入桩桩端荷载约为桩顶总荷载的20%,整体表现为端承摩擦桩的承载特性;外围较高强度水泥砂浆可有效将芯桩荷载传递至周围土,能起到扩径增强的作用;试验工况下芯桩-包裹砂浆界面阻力沿桩长呈两端大、中间小的分布特点,而包裹砂浆-土界面阻力随深度呈逐渐增大变化趋势;外围砂浆厚度的增加有利于提升传统预制管桩承载性能,但其厚度不宜过大,厚径比宜为0.2~0.5,以充分发挥内芯预制桩承载特性和芯桩-砂浆的协同作用。