Dynamic response of a slope reinforced by double-row antisliding piles and pre-stressed anchor cables

Large-scale shaking table tests were conducted to study the dynamic response of a slope reinforced by double-row anti-sliding piles and prestressed anchor cables. The test results show that the reinforcement suppressed the acceleration amplification effectively. The axial force time histories are decomposed into a baseline part and a vibration part in this study. The baseline part of axial force well revealed the seismic slope stability, the peak vibration values of axial force of the anchor cables changed significantly in different area of the slope under seismic excitations. The peak lateral earth pressure acting on the back of the anti-sliding pile located at the slope toe was much larger than that acting on the back of the anti-sliding pile located at the slope waist. The test results indicate an obvious load sharing ratio difference between these two anti-slide piles, the load sharing ratio between the two anti-sliding piles located at the slope toe and the slope waist varied mainly in a range of 2-5. The anti-slide pile at the slope waist suppressed the horizontal displacement of the slope surface.

High-strain dynamic model of large-diameter pipe piles with soil plug for vertical vibration analysis

A rigorous analytical model is developed for simulating the vibration behaviors of large-diameter openended pipe piles(OEPPs)and surrounding soil undergoing high-strain impact loading.To describe the soil behavior,the soil along pile shaft is divided into slip and nonslip zones and the base soil is modeled as a fictitious-soil pile(FSP)to account for the wave propagation in the soil.True soil properties are adopted and slippage at the pile-soil interface is considered,allowing realistic representation of largediameter OEPP mechanics.The developed model is validated by comparing with conventional models and finite element method(FEM).It is further used to successfully simulate and interpret the behaviors of a steel OEPP during the offshore field test.It is found that the variation in the vertical vibrations of shaft soil along radial direction is significant for large-diameter OEPPs,and the velocity amplitudes of the internal and external soil attenuate following different patterns.The shaft soil motion may not attenuate with depth due to the soil slippage,while the wave attenuation at base soil indicates an influence depth,with a faster attenuation rate than that in the pile.The findings from the current study should aid in simulating the vibration behaviors of large-diameter OEPP-soil system under high-strain dynamic loading.

Experimental Study of Local Scour Around Four Piles Under Different Attack Angles and Gap Ratios

In an effort to investigate and quantify the patterns of local scour,researchers embarked on an in-depth study using a systematic experimental approach.The research focused on the effects of local scour around a set of four piles,each subjected to different hydromechanical conditions.In particular,this study aimed to determine how different attack angles—the angles at which the water flow impinges on the piles,and gap ratios—the ratios of the spacing between the piles to their diameters,influence the extent and nature of scour.A comprehensive series of 35 carefully designed experiments were orchestrated,each designed to dissect the nuances in how the gap ratio and attack angle might contribute to changes in the local scour observed at the base of pile groups.During these experimental trials,a wealth of local scour data were collected to support the analysis.These data included precise topographic profiles of the sediment bed around the pile groups,as well as detailed scour time histories showing the evolution of scour at strategic feature points throughout the test procedure.The analysis of the experimental data provided interesting insights.The study revealed that the interplay between the gap ratio and the attack angle had a pronounced influence on the scouring dynamics of the pile groups.One of the key observations was that the initial phases of scour,particularly within the first hour of water flow exposure,were characterized by a sharp increase in the scour depth occurring immediately in front of the piles.After this initial rapid development,the scour depth transitioned to a more gradual change rate.In contrast,the scour topography around the piles continuously evolved.This suggests that sediment displacement and the associated sculpting of the seabed around pile foundations are sustained and progressive processes,altering the underwater landscape over time.The results of this empirical investigation have significant implications for the design and construction of offshore multi-pile foundations,providing a critical reference for engineers and designers to estimate the expected scour depth around such structures,which is an integral part of decisions regarding foundation design,selection of structural materials,and implementation of scour protection measures.

Thermal performance of cast-in-place piles with artificial ground freezing in permafrost regions

During the construction of cast-in-place piles in warm permafrost,the heat carried by concrete and the cement hydration reaction can cause strong thermal disturbance to the surrounding permafrost.Since the bearing capacity of the pile is quite small before the full freeze-back,the quick refreezing of the native soils surrounding the cast-in-place pile has become the focus of the infrastructure construction in permafrost.To solve this problem,this paper innovatively puts forward the application of the artificial ground freezing(AGF)method at the end of the curing period of cast-in-place piles in permafrost.A field test on the AGF was conducted at the Beiluhe Observation and Research Station of Frozen Soil Engineering and Environment(34°51.2'N,92°56.4'E)in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau(QTP),and then a 3-D numerical model was established to investigate the thermal performance of piles using AGF under different engineering conditions.Additionally,the long-term thermal performance of piles after the completion of AGF under different conditions was estimated.Field experiment results demonstrate that AGF is an effective method to reduce the refreezing time of the soil surrounding the piles constructed in permafrost terrain,with the ability to reduce the pile-soil interface temperatures to below the natural ground temperature within 3 days.Numerical results further prove that AGF still has a good cooling effect even under unfavorable engineering conditions such as high pouring temperature,large pile diameter,and large pile length.Consequently,the application of this method is meaningful to save the subsequent latency time and solve the problem of thermal disturbance in pile construction in permafrost.The research results are highly relevant for the spread of AGF technology and the rapid building of pile foundations in permafrost.

Centrifuge modeling of unreinforced and multi-row stabilizing piles reinforced landslides subjected to reservoir water level fluctuation

With the construction of the Three Gorges Reservoir dam,frequent reservoir landslide events have been recorded.In recent years,multi-row stabilizing piles(MRSPs)have been used to stabilize massive reservoir landslides in China.In this study,two centrifuge model tests were carried out to study the unreinforced and MRSP-reinforced slopes subjected to reservoir water level(RWL)operation,using the Taping landslide as a prototype.The results indicate that the RWL rising can provide lateral support within the submerged zone and then produce the inward seepage force,eventually strengthening the slope stability.However,a rapid RWL drawdown may induce outward seepage forces and a sudden debuttressing effect,consequently reducing the effective soil normal stress and triggering partial pre-failure within the RWL fluctuation zone.Furthermore,partial deformation and subsequent soil structure damage generate excess pore water pressures,ultimately leading to the overall failure of the reservoir landslide.This study also reveals that a rapid increase in the downslope driving force due to RWL drawdown significantly intensifies the lateral earth pressures exerted on the MRSPs.Conversely,the MRSPs possess a considerable reinforcement effect on the reservoir landslide,transforming the overall failure into a partial deformation and failure situated above and in front of the MRSPs.The mechanical transfer behavior observed in the MRSPs demonstrates a progressive alteration in relation to RWL fluctuations.As the RWL rises,the mechanical states among MRSPs exhibit a growing imbalance.The shear force transfer factor(i.e.the ratio of shear forces on pile of the n th row to that of the first row)increases significantly with the RWL drawdown.This indicates that the mechanical states among MRSPs tend toward an enhanced equilibrium.The insights gained from this study contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the failure mechanisms of reservoir landslides and the mechanical behavior of MRSPs in reservoir banks.

Shaking table test for reinforcement of soil slope with multiple sliding surfaces by reinforced double-row anti-slide piles

Despite the continuous advancements of engineering construction in high-intensity areas,many engineering landslides are still manufactured with huge thrust force,and double-row piles are effective to control such large landslides.In this study,large shaking table test were performed to test and obtain multi-attribute seismic data such as feature image,acceleration,and dynamic soil pressure.Through the feature image processing analysis,the deformation characteristics for the slope reinforced by double-row piles were revealed.By analyzing the acceleration and the dynamic soil pressure time domain,the spatial dynamic response characteristics were revealed.Using Fast Fourier Transform and half-power bandwidth,the damping ratio of acceleration and dynamic soil pressure was obtained.Following that,the Seism Signal was used to calculate the spectral displacement of the accelerations to obtain the regional differences of spectral displacement.The results showed that the overall deformation mechanism of the slope originates from tension failure in the soil mass.The platform at the back of the slope was caused by seismic subsidence,and the peak acceleration ratio was positively correlated with the relative pile heights.The dynamic soil pressure of the front row piles showed an inverted"K"-shaped distribution,but that of the back row piles showed an"S"-shaped distribution.The predominant frequency of acceleration was 2.16 Hz,and the main frequency band was 0.7-6.87 Hz;for dynamic soil pressure,the two parameters became 1.15 Hz and 0.5-6.59 Hz,respectively.In conclusion,dynamic soil pressure was more sensitive to dampening effects than acceleration.Besides,compared to acceleration,dynamic soil pressure exhibited larger loss factors and lower resonance peaks.Finally,back row pile heads were highly sensitive to spectral displacement compared to front row pile heads.These findings may be of reference value for future seismic designs of double-row piles.

Prediction of seismic-induced bending moment and lateral displacement in closed and open-ended pipe piles:A genetic programming approach

Ensuring the reliability of pipe pile designs under earthquake loading necessitates an accurate determination of lateral displacement and bending moment,typically achieved through complex numerical modeling to address the intricacies of soil-pile interaction.Despite recent advancements in machine learning techniques,there is a persistent need to establish data-driven models that can predict these parameters without using numerical simulations due to the difficulties in conducting correct numerical simulations and the need for constitutive modelling parameters that are not readily available.This research presents novel lateral displacement and bending moment predictive models for closed and open-ended pipe piles,employing a Genetic Programming(GP)approach.Utilizing a soil dataset extracted from existing literature,comprising 392 data points for both pile types embedded in cohesionless soil and subjected to earthquake loading,the study intentionally limited input parameters to three features to enhance model simplicity:Standard Penetration Test(SPT)corrected blow count(N60),Peak Ground Acceleration(PGA),and pile slenderness ratio(L/D).Model performance was assessed via coefficient of determination(R^(2)),Root Mean Squared Error(RMSE),and Mean Absolute Error(MAE),with R^(2) values ranging from 0.95 to 0.99 for the training set,and from 0.92 to 0.98 for the testing set,which indicate of high accuracy of prediction.Finally,the study concludes with a sensitivity analysis,evaluating the influence of each input parameter across different pile types.

Dynamic Behavior of Double-Row Pre-stressed Anchor Piles under Earthquake Conditions

To investigate the seismic performance of the double-row pre-stressed anchor piles （DRPAPs） on the Yuxi-Mengzi railway, FLAC3D was used to construct a three-dimensional model. Using Koyna earthquake records as input motions, dynamic time-history analyses were carried out. In the analyses, we compared earth pressure on the front and back of the piles and deformation of the piles under different seismic forces with or without anchor cables. With the anchor cable present, the earth pressure on the back of the pile＇s free section increases, but that on the back of the pile＇s anchorage section decreases. Also, with anchor cables, the earth pressure on the front of the upper pile decreases, and that on the back of the lower pile decreases.

Reliability analysis of piles constructed on slopes under laterally loading

Response surface method is used to study the reliability analysis of laterally loaded piles in sloping ground. A development load-displacement （p-y） curve for laterally loaded pile response in sloping ground is used to model the pile-soil system, both the pile head displacement and the maximum bending moment of the piles are used as the performance criteria in this study. The reliability analysis method of the laterally loaded pile in sloping ground under the pile head displacement and the maximum bending moment failure modes is proposed, which is in good agreement with the Monte Carlo method. The influences on the probability index of failure by a number of parameters are discussed. It is shown that the variability of pile head displacement increases with the increase in the coefficients of variation of ultimate bearing capacity factor （Npu）, secant elastic modulus at 50%（E50） and level load （H）. A negative correlation between Npu and non-dimensional factor （λ） leads to less spread out probability density function （PDF） of the pile head displacement;in contrast, a positive correlation between Npu andλgives a great variation in the PDF of pile head displacement. As for bearing capacity factor on ground surface （Npo） and λ, both negative and positive correlations between them give a great variation in the PDF of pile head displacement, and a negative correlation will obviously increase the variability of the response.

Testing Analysis of Composite Ground with Grouting Piles and Deep Mixing Piles

This paper discusses a new technique to improve soft ground with grouting piles and deep mixing piles. The bearing capacity of composite ground and the stress ratio between piles and soil is discussed by means of the static test. Based on Mindlin solution and Boussinesq solution, the additional stress and settlement of the composite ground are acquired.Compared the practical value with calculation, a better calculating method is confirmed.

Study of LDBPs Shaft Skin Friction for Piles in Cohesiove Soils

The methodology of predicting pile shaft skin ultimate friction has been studied in a systematic way. In the light of that, the analysis of the pile shaft resistance for bored and cast in situ piles in cohesive soils was carried out thoroughly in the basis of field performance data of 10 fully instrumented large diameter bored piles (LDBPs) used as the bridge foundation. The undrained strength index μ in term of cohesive soils was brought forward in allusion to the cohesive soils in the consistence plastic state, and can effectively combine the friction angle and the cohesion of cohesive soils in undrained condition. And that the classical ' α method' was modified much in effect to predict the pile shaft skin friction of LDBPs in cohesive soils. Furthermore, the approach of standard penetration test (SPT) N value used to estimate the pile shaft skin ultimate friction was analyzed, and the calculating formulae were established for LDBPs in clay and silt clay respectively.

Reliability analysis of anti-pull piles under excavation

The impact of excavation on the reliability of anti- pull piles is studied, and three cases of reliability analysis, named reliability of ultimate limit state （ULS）, reliability of serviceability limit state （SLS） and reliability of system （SYS） are studied. The reduction factor of the pile capacity is used to calculate the reliability indices for the three cases. The ratio ξ of the pile capacity of SLS to the pile capacity of ULS has a significant influence on the reliability indices of SLS and SYS. The mean value μξ of the ratio ξ： is considered as a random variable to study the reliability indices of SLS and SYS. The numerical example demonstrates that the excavation depth and the excavation diameter are proved to have significant influences on the reduction factor of the pile capacity and the reliability indices. The reliability indices decrease with the increase in the excavation depth, and the excavation diameter has a considerable influence on the reliability index when the excavation is relatively deep. In addition, μξ has a significant influence on the reliability indices of SLS and SYS. For a more accurate estimation of μξ, further research should be conducted to study μξ.

Response of single piles and pipelines in liquefaction-induced lateral spreads using controlled blasting

Two full-scale experiments using controlled blasting were conducted in the Port of Tokachi on Hokkaido Island, Japan,to assess the behavior of piles and pipelines subjected to lateral spreading.Test specimens were extensively instrumented with strain gauges to measure the distribution of moment during lateral spreading.This allowed us to compute the loading condition,as well as to conduct damage and performance assessments on the piles and pipelines.This paper presents the test results and discussions on the response of single piles and pipelines observed from the full-scale experiments.Based on the test results,it can be concluded that using controlled blasting successfully liquefied the soil,and subsequently induced lateral spreading.The movements of the single pile,as well as the transverse pipelines,were approximately the same as the free field soil movement.Observed moment distribution of the single pile indicated that global translation of the liquefied soil layer provided insignificant force to the pile.In addition,the degree of fixity at the pile tip significantly affected the moment along the pile as well as the pile head displacement.The pile with a higher degree of fixity at the pile tip had smaller pile head displacement but larger maximum moment.

Soil Plug Effect Prediction and Pile Driveability Analysis for Large-Diameter Steel Piles in Ocean Engineering

Long steel piles with large diameters have been more widely used in the field of ocean engineering. Owing to the pile with a large diameter, soil plug development during pile driving has great influences on pile driveability and bearing capacity. The response of soil plug developed inside the open-ended pipe pile during the dynamic condition of pile-driving is different from the response under the static condition of loading during service. This paper addresses the former aspect. A numerical procedure for soil plug effect prediction and pile driveabihty analysis is proposed and described. By taking into consideration of the pile dimension effect on side and tip resistance, this approach introduces a dimensional coefficient to the conventional static eqnihbrium equations for the plug differential unit and proposes an improved static equity method for the plug effect prediction. At the same time, this approach introduces a simplified model by use of one-dimensional stress wave equation to simulate the interaction between soil plug and pile inner wall. The proposed approach has been applied in practical engineering analyses. Results show that the calculated plug effect and pile driveabihty based on the proposed approach agree well with the observed data.

Physical modelling of pipe piles under oblique pullout loads using transparent soil and particle image velocimetry

A small-scale physical modelling method was developed to investigate the pile bearing capacity and the soil displacement around the pile using transparent soil and particle image velocimetry(PIV) technique. Transparent sand was made of baked quartz and a pore fluid with a matching refractive index. The physical modelling system consists of a loading system, a laser light, a CCD camera, an optical platform and a computer for image analyzing. A distinctive laser speckle was generated by the interaction between the laser light and transparent soil. Two laser speckle images before and after deformation were used to calculate the soil displacement field using PIV. Two pipe piles with different diameters under oblique pullout loads at angles of 0°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90° were used in tests. The load-displacement response, oblique pullout ultimate resistances and soil displacement fields were then studied. The test results show that the developed physical modelling method and transparent soil are suitable for pile-soil interaction problems. The soil displacements around the pipe piles will improve the understanding on the capacity of pipe piles under oblique pullout loads.

Influence of cement-fly ash-gravel pile-supported approach embankment on abutment piles in soft ground

Abutment piles in soft ground may be subjected to both vertical and horizontal soil movements resulting from approach embankment loads. To constrain the soil movements, the soft soil ground beneath the approach embankment is often improved using composite pile foundations, which aim at mitigating the bump induced by high-speed trains passing through the bridge. So far, there is limited literature on exploring the influence of the degree of ground improvement on abutment piles installed in soft soil grounds. In this paper, a series of three-dimensional （3D） centrifuge model tests was performed on an approach embankment over a silty clay deposit improved by cement-fly ash-gravel （CFG） piles combined with geogrid. Emphasis is placed on the effects of ground replacement ratio （m） on the responses of the abutment piles induced by embankment loads. Meanwhile, a numerical study was conducted with varying ground replacement ratio of the pile-reinforced grounds. Results show that the performance of the abutment piles is significantly improved when reinforcing the ground with CFG piles beneath the approach embankment. Interestingly, there is a threshold value of the replacement ratio of around 4.9% above which the effect of CFG pile foundations is limited. This implies that it is essential to optimize the ground improvement for having a cost-effective design while minimizing the risk of the bump at the end of bridge.

Anchoring Depth Research of Anti-Slide Piles of Anchor Bar in Soil

The model test result of earth force in the side of anti-slide pile of anchor bars was introduced.There are three groups of the tests.The loads were on the back side of the slope in two groups.The other one was loaded just behind the pile by the jack.In order to get the force of the soil,some earth-pressure boxes were used to get the earth pressure on the side of the piles.The part of the max pressure and the earth pressure was mainly focused under the slip line

Behavior of raft on settlement reducing piles:Experimental model study

An experimental program is conducted on model piled rafts in sand soil.The experimental program is aimed to investigate the behavior of raft on settlement reducing piles.The testing program includes tests on models of single pile,unpiled rafts and rafts on 1,4,9,or 16 piles.The model piles beneath the rafts are closed ended displacement piles installed by driving.Three lengths of piles are used in the experiments to represent slenderness ratio,L/D,of 20,30 and 50,respectively.The dimensions of the model rafts are 30 cm×30 cm with different thickness of 0.5 cm,1.0 cm or 1.5 cm.The raft-soil stiffness ratios of the model rafts ranging from 0.39 to 10.56 cover flexible to very stiff rafts.The improvement in the ultimate bearing capacity is represented by the load improvement ratio,LIR,and the reductions in average settlement and differential settlement are represented by the settlement ratio,SR,and the differential settlement ratio,DSR,respectively.The effects of the number of settlement reducing piles,raft relative stiffness,and the slenderness ratio of piles on the load improvement ratio,settlement ratio and differential settlement ratio are presented and discussed.The results of the tests show the effectiveness of using piles as settlement reduction measure with the rafts.As the number of settlement reducing piles increases,the load improvement ratio increases and the differential settlement ratio decreases.

Refreezing of cast-in-place piles under various engineering conditions

In the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Power Transmission Line （QTPTL）, cast-in-place piles （CIPPs） are widely applied in areas with unfavorable geological conditions. The thermal regime around piles in permafrost regions greatly affects the stability of the towers as well as the operation of the QTPTL. The casting of piles will markedly affect the thermal regime of the surrounding permafrost because of the casting temperature and the hydration heat of cement. Based on the typical geological and engineering conditions along the QTPTL, thermal disturbance ofa CIPP to surrounding permafrost under different casting seasons, pile depths, and casting temperatures were simulated. The results show that the casting season （summer versus winter） can influence the refreezing process of CIPPs, within the first 6 m of pile depth. Sixty days after being cast, CIPPs greater than 6 m in depth can be frozen regardless of which season they were cast, and the foundation could be reffozen after a cold season. Comparing the refreezing characteristics of CIPPs cast in different seasons also showed that, without considering the ground surface conditions, warm seasons are more suitable for casting piles. With the increase of pile depth, the thermal effect of a CIPP on the surrounding soil mainly expands vertically, while the lateral heat disturbance changes little. Deeper, longer CIPPs have better stability. The casting temperature clearly affects the thermal disturbance, and the radius of the melting circle increases with rising casting temperature. The optimal casting temperature is between 2 ℃ and 9 ℃.

Bearing behavior and failure mechanism of squeezed branch piles

The current practice for the design of squeezed branch piles is mainly based on the calculated bearing capacity of circular piles. Insufficient considerations of the load-transfer mechanism, branch effect and failure mechanism, as well as overreliance on pile load tests, have led to conservative designs and limited application. This study performs full-scale field load tests on instrumented squeezed branch piles and shows that the shaft force curves have obvious drop steps at the branch position, indicating that the branches can effectively share the pile top load. The effects of branch position, spacing, number and diameter on the pile bearing capacity are analyzed numerically. The numerical results indicate that the squeezed branch piles have two types of failure mechanisms, i.e. individual branch failure mechanism and cylindrical failure mechanism. Further research should focus on the development of the calculation method to determine the bearing capacities of squeezed branch piles considering these two failure mechanisms.