Vertical dynamic impedance of large-diameter pile considering its transverse inertia effect and construction disturbance effect

The vertical dynamic impedance of the large-diameter pile is theoretically investigated considering the construction disturbance effect. First, the Rayleigh–Love rode model is introduced to simulate the large-diameter pile with the consideration of its transverse inertia effect. The shear complex stiffness transfer model is proposed to simulate the radial inhomogeneity of the pile surrounding soil caused by the construction disturbance effect. Then, the pile–soil system is divided into finite segments, and the governing equation of the pile–soil system subjected to vertical dynamic loading is established. Following this, the analytical solution of vertical dynamic impedance at the pile head is obtained by means of the shear complex stiffness transfer method and the impedance function transfer method. Based on the present solution, a parametric analysis is conducted to investigate the influence of the transverse inertia effect on the vertical dynamic impedance at the pile head and its relationship with the pile–soil parameters. Finally, comparisons with published solutions are carried out to verify the reliability of the present solution.     

Dynamic response of a large-diameter pile with variable section in layered saturated soil considering construction disturbance effect

ABSTRACT

An analytical solution is developed in this paper to investigate the vertical time-harmonic response of a large-diameter variable-section pile, and it considers the radial inhomogeneity of the surrounding soil caused by construction disturbance. First, the saturated soil surrounding the pile is described by Biot’s poroelastic theory and a series of infinitesimally thin independent layers along the shaft of the pile, and the pile is represented by a variable-section Rayleigh–Love rod. Then, the dynamic equilibrium equations of the soil and pile are solved to obtain an analytical solution for the impedance function at the pile top using the complex stiffness transfer method and impedance function transfer method. Finally, the proposed solution is compared with previous solutions to verify its reliability, and a parameter study is conducted to provide insights into the sensitivity of the vertical dynamic impedance of the pile and velocity response in low-strain integrity testing on defective piles.     

Longitudinal dynamic impedance of a static drill rooted nodular pile embedded in layered soil

The static drill rooted nodular (SDRN) pile is a new type of precast pipe pile with equally spaced nodes distributed along the shaft and wrapped by the surrounding cemented soil. In this paper, the longitudinal dynamic response of the SDRN pile embedded in layered soil is investigated with respect to the complexity of the pile body structure and the pile–soil contact condition. First, the shear complex stiffness transfer model is used to simulate the radial inhomogeneity of the surrounding soil. Then, the governing Equations of the pile–soil system subjected to longitudinal dynamic loading are established. The analytical solution for the dynamic response at the pile head is obtained by the shear complex stiffness transfer method and the impedance function transfer method. The degenerate case of the present solution is compared with the published solution to verify its reliability, and the complex impedance of the SDRN pile is compared with that of the precast pipe pile and the bored pile. Finally, a parametric study is conducted to investigate the influence of pile–soil parameters on the complex impedance at the pile head within the low frequency range concerned in the design of the dynamic foundation.     

Torsional Dynamic Impedance of a Tapered Pile Considering its Construction Disturbance Effect

The dynamic response of a tapered pile (considering its construction disturbance effect) is investigated when the tapered pile is subjected to a time-harmonic torsional loading. For most engineering conditions, the surrounding soil may be weakened or strengthened owing to the construction disturbance effect of the tapered pile, resulting in the soil becoming radially inhomogeneous. In order to consider this problem, the circumferential shear complex stiffness transfer model is proposed to simulate the radial inhomogeneity of soil. Then, the governing equations of a tapered pile-soil system subjected to torsional dynamic loading are established. By virtue of the circumferential shear complex stiffness transfer method and the impedance function transfer method, the analytical solution of torsional dynamic impedance at the head of the tapered pile is derived. Based on the presented solution, the influence of the construction disturbance effect of the surrounding soil on the torsional dynamic impedance at the pile head is investigated within the low-frequency range concerned in the design of a dynamic foundation. The results show that, even if the hardening range and softening range of the surrounding soil vary within a smaller scale, the hardening effect and softening effect also have a notable influence on the torsional dynamic impedance at the pile head.     

Vertical dynamic impedance of pile considering the dynamic stress diffusion effect of pile end soil

A new analytical model is presented to analyze the dynamic stress diffusion effect of pile end soil on the vertical dynamic impedance of the pile. The surrounding soil of the pile is modeled by using the plane strain model and the pile is simulated by using one-dimensional elastic theory. Finite soil layers below the pile end are modeled as conical fictitious soil pile with stress diffusion angle which reflects the dynamic stress diffusion effect of pile end soil. By means of the Laplace transform and impedance function transfer method, the analytical solution of the vertical dynamic impedance at the pile head in frequency domain is yielded. Then, a comparison with other models is performed to verify the conical fictitious soil pile model. Finally, based on the proposed solution, the selected numerical results are compared to analyze the influence of dynamic stress diffusion effect for different design parameters of the soil-pile system on the vertical dynamic impedance at the pile head.     

Lateral dynamic response of a partially embedded pile subjected to combined loads in saturated soil

In this article, an analytical solution is proposed to investigate the lateral dynamic response of a pile which is partially embedded in saturated soil layer and subjected to combined lateral and vertical loads. The saturated soil is described by Biot’s poroelastic theory and the resistance of soil is derived by potential function method. The governing equation of the pile is solved by coupling soil resistance and continuity conditions between the pile and the soil. The dynamic impedances of the pile are then obtained through transfer matrix method. To verify the validity of the proposed procedure, the present solution is compared with available solution for an idealized case. Finally, a parametric study is performed to investigate the effects of various parameters on the stiffness and damping properties of the pile-soil system. It is found that permeability of the soil and vertical load has significant effects on the dynamic response of the pile.     

Numerical analysis of bearing capacity of drilled displacement piles with a screw-shaped shaft in sand

Drilled displacement (DD) piles with a screw-shaped shaft (referred to as DD piles) are installed using a continuous full thread hollow rod (without a displacement body) inserted and advanced in the soil by both a vertical force and a torque. As a type of newly developed pile, current understanding of the bearing mechanism of DD piles is unsatisfactory, which restricts their further applications in engineering. The primary aim of this paper is to study the bearing mechanism of this type of pile using a numerical method. First, a numerical model for calculating the bearing capacity of the DD piles was created and validated by a laboratory test. Then, the effects of the parameters of pile–soil interface, soil strength, and pile geometrical parameters on the bearing mechanism of the DD piles were investigated in parametric studies. The results of parametric studies show that the limit shear stress on the pile–soil interface, the friction angle of surrounding sand, screw pitch, and thread width significantly influence the bearing capacity of the DD piles, whereas the friction coefficient at the pile–soil interface and the thread thickness have little effect. Based on the results of the parametric studies, the failure mechanism of the DD piles under vertical load is analyzed. Finally, an equation for predicting the ultimate bearing capacities of helical piles based on cylindrical shear failure was used for estimating the bearing capacity of the DD piles, and the calculated results were verified with the numerical results.     

Influence on lateral rigidity of offshore piles using proposed p–y curves

A fundamental study of pile–soil systems subjected to lateral loads in offshore deposit was conducted using experimental tests and numerical analysis. The emphasis was on the soil–pile rigidity of a laterally loaded pile in marine clay. Rigid- and flexible-pile analyses were conducted for comparison. A framework for determining the lateral load transfer curve (p–y curves) is proposed based on both field and laboratory model tests. A numerical analysis that takes into account the proposed p–y curves was performed for the pile flexibility parameters such as pile diameter, pile length, pile-bending stiffness, and the modulus of subgrade reaction. Based on the analysis, it is shown that the differences in bending moment and lateral displacement are more significant for flexible piles rather than rigid piles. It was found that the p–y curves influence the behavior of flexible piles more than rigid piles, thus the magnitude and distribution of the p–y curves are significantly important in flexible pile design.     

Small- and large-scale model tests on the buckling property of slender pile

Slender piles embedded in soft ground or liquefied soil may buckle under vertical load. In this paper, both small- and large-scale model tests are conducted to investigate the buckling mechanisms of a slender pile and the lateral earth pressure acting on the pile. To observe the buckling of a slender pile, the strain-controlled loading method is adopted to apply a vertical load. When the two ends of a slender pile are hinged, the buckling mechanisms of small- and large-scale model tests are same. It should be noted that this applies only to a system with a small ratio of pile bending stiffness to soil bending stiffness. An applied vertical load increases with an increasing pile head settlement until it reaches the critical buckling load. By further increasing the pile head settlement, the measured load approaches the critical buckling load. In the large-scale model test, the measured lateral earth pressure (i.e., active and passive) acting on the slender pile varies linearly with the lateral pile displacement when the measured range is 3–5?m beneath the ground. A critical buckling calculation method has been adopted to compare with the conventional “m” method. The two-sided earth pressure calculation method can achieve more approximate results with the model test.     

Reinforcement and Arching Effect of Geogrid-Reinforced and Pile-Supported Embankment on Marine Soft Ground

The effectiveness of constructing a geogrid-reinforced and pile supported embankment on soft ground to reduce differential settlement has been studied by pilot scale field tests and numerical analysis. Three-by-three pile groups with varying pile spacing were driven into a layer of soft ground, and a layer of geogrid was used as reinforcement over each pile group. Further, a 2-D numerical analysis has been conducted using the computer program FLAC 2D. The mechanisms of load transfer can be considered as a combination of embankment soil arching, geogrid tension, and stress transfer due to the difference in stiffness between pile and soft ground. Based on the pilot scale field tests and results of numerical analysis, we find that the geosynthetic reinforcement slightly interferes with soil arching, and helps reduce differential settlement of the soft ground. Also, the most effective load transfer and vertical stress reduction at the midspan between piles occurs when the pile cap spacing index D/b (D: pile cap spacing, b: diameter of pile) is 3.0.     

Reinforcement and Arching Effect of Geogrid-Reinforced and Pile-Supported Embankment on Marine Soft Ground

The effectiveness of constructing a geogrid-reinforced and pile supported embankment on soft ground to reduce differential settlement has been studied by pilot scale field tests and numerical analysis. Three-by-three pile groups with varying pile spacing were driven into a layer of soft ground, and a layer of geogrid was used as reinforcement over each pile group. Further, a 2-D numerical analysis has been conducted using the computer program FLAC 2D. The mechanisms of load transfer can be considered as a combination of embankment soil arching, geogrid tension, and stress transfer due to the difference in stiffness between pile and soft ground. Based on the pilot scale field tests and results of numerical analysis, we find that the geosynthetic reinforcement slightly interferes with soil arching, and helps reduce differential settlement of the soft ground. Also, the most effective load transfer and vertical stress reduction at the midspan between piles occurs when the pile cap spacing index D/b (D: pile cap spacing, b: diameter of pile) is 3.0.     

Development of the cyclic p–y curve for a single pile in sandy soil

Pile foundations that support transmission towers or offshore structures are dominantly subjected to cyclic lateral load induced by wind and waves. For a successful design, it is crucial to investigate the effect of cyclic lateral loads on the pile behavior that is loaded laterally. Although the p–y curve method is generally utilized to design the cyclic laterally loaded pile foundations, the effect of cyclic lateral loads on the pile has not been properly implemented with the p–y curve. This reflects a lack of consideration of the overall stiffness change in soil–pile interaction. To address this, a series of model pile tests were conducted in this study on a preinstalled aluminum flexible pile under various sandy soil conditions. The test results were used to investigate the effect of cyclic lateral loads on the p–y behavior. The cyclic p–y curve, which properly takes into account this effect, was developed as a hyperbolic function. Pseudo-static analysis was also conducted with the proposed cyclic p–y curve, which showed that it was able to properly simulate cyclic laterally loaded pile behavior in sandy soil.     

A simplified calculation method for axial cyclic degradation of offshore wind turbine foundations in clay

Abstract

Pile foundation is the most popular option for the foundation of offshore wind turbines. The degradation of stiffness and bearing capacity of pile foundation induced by cyclic loading will be harmful for structure safety. In this article, a modified undrained elastic–plastic model considering the cyclic degradation of clay soil is proposed, and a simplified calculation method (SCM) based on shear displacement method is presented to calculate the axial degradated capacity of a single pile foundation for offshore wind turbines resisting cyclic loadings. The conception of plastic zone thickness R_p is introduced to obtain the function between accumulated plastic strain and displacement of soil around pile side. The axial ultimate capacity of single piles under axial cyclic loading calculated by this simplified analysis have a good consistency with the results from the finite element analysis, which verifies the accuracy and reliability of this method. As an instance, the behavior of pile foundation of an offshore wind farm under cyclic load is studied using the proposed numerical method and SCM. This simplified method may provide valuable reference for engineering design.     

Dynamic Behavior of Beam–Pile Structure Under Vertical Transient Excitation

The dynamic response of beam–pile–soil system under vertical transient excitation is investigated. Both piles and beam are assumed to be one-dimensional rods and subjected to vertical exciting forces. The uniformly distributed Voigt models are introduced to simulate the pile tip resistances, and the dynamic interactions between piles and beam are simplified as a set of concentrated point loads. Then, the plane strain model, the theory of longitudinal vibration of one-dimensional rod, and the Timoshenko beam theory are used to establish the mathematical models for the motion of soil, piles, and beam, respectively. On this basis, the matrix equation for solving the governing equations is constructed in the Laplace domain and the time-domain response is then obtained by the discrete inverse Fourier transform. Comparisons with numerical simulations and model tests are conducted to evaluate the rationality of the present solution. The results show that the dynamic responses calculated by the proposed solution are generally consistent with simulated curves and experimental data.     

Consolidation solution of soil around a permeable pipe pile

Abstract

In practice, how to quickly improve the bearing capacity of piles in a short time is of great significance. In view of this, a technique of setting grooves and installing PVDs (prefabricated vertical drains) at the surface of the pile is proposed in this investigation to accelerate the consolidation of the surrounding soil. A radial and circular consolidation model is established for permeable piles. The finite cosine transform, finite Weber transform, and discretization method are used to obtain a semi-analytical solution for the consolidation model with a mixed drainage boundary condition at the surface of the pile. The sensitivity of the consolidation process to the strip number and the width of PVDs is discussed. The results show that the technique of installing PVDs in piles could potentially improve the bearing capacity. When the area of drainage channels is fixed, the bearing capacity of permeable piles can be more effectively improved by using a higher strip number of PVDs and a smaller PVD width.     

Shaft capacity of pre-bored grouted planted nodular pile under various overburden pressures in dense sand

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a series of model tests performed to study the shaft capacity of pre-bored grouted planted nodular (PGPN) pile in dense sand. The influence of the vertical overburden pressure on the shaft capacity of the PGPN pile is also investigated based on the test results. The test piles were equipped with strain gauges to measure the axial loads during the loading process, moreover, a foam plate was buried beneath pile tip to eliminate the influence of tip resistance on the shaft capacity. Some conclusions can be drawn based on the test results: the peak skin friction of PGPN pile increases with the increase of vertical overburden pressure applied on the foundation soil, while the rate of increase decreases with the increasing overburden pressure; the surface of the pile–soil interface of PGPN pile is relatively rough, and significant dilatant increase in lateral stress occurs during the loading process.     

Research on shaft resistance of rock-socketed piles based on the cavity expansion theory

The shaft resistance of rock-socketed piles depends not only on the properties of its surrounding rock, but also on the radial force induced by the load imposed on the top of the pile. This paper deduced a plastic zone of rock around a single pile and obtained the shaft resistance of a rock-socketed pile based on the theories of cavity expansion and shear strength. The research results showed that the magnitude of the radial force in the socketed portion of a rock-socketed pile was related to the pile diameter, Poisson’s ratio, and properties of the surrounding rock. The influence area of rock decreased with increasing pile diameter. The radial force and lateral friction decreased with the increasing relative stiffnesses of the pile and rock. The radial stress on the elastic–plastic interface can be analytically determined based on the rock properties and depth. A field test was used to validate the proposed method, and a good agreement was obtained between the field data and predicted results of the proposed method. The research results in this paper are beneficial to guide actual practice.     

Pit bearing capacity effect on status of soil plug during pile driving in ocean engineering

Foundation piles of the offshore oil platforms in the Bohai Bay are usually longer than 100 m with a diameter larger than 2 m.Driving such long and large-sized piles into the ground is a difficult task.It needs a comprehensive consider ation of the pile dimensions,soil properties and the hammer energy.Thoughtful drivability analysis has to be performed in the design stage.It has been shown that judging whether the soil column inside the pile is fully plugged,which makes the pile behave as close-ended,strongly influences the accuracy of drivability analysis.Engineering practice repeatedly indicates that the current methods widely used for soil plug judgment often give incorrect results,leading the designers to make a wrong decision.It has been found that this problem is caused by the ignorance of the bearing capacity provided by the soil surrounding the pile.Based on the Terzaghi’s bearing capacity calculation method for deep foundation,a new approach for judging soil plug status is put forward,in which the surcharge effect has been considered and the dynamic effect coefficient is included.This approach has been applied to some practical engineering projects successfully,which may give more reasonable results than the currently used method does.     

Case study on pile running during the driving process of large-diameter pipe piles

The super-long and large-diameter steel pipe piles are often adopted for the construction of offshore oil platforms in deep sea. One constructability issue related to driving heavy pipe piles is the pile running. The term pile running refers to the quick penetration of a pile into the seabed as a result of its high self-weight and low resistance from the seabed. The unexpected pile running can cause the steel wire of the hammer to break or even the loss of the hammer. A case study of pile running at an oil platform is introduced in this paper. A simplified theoretical method is proposed to explain the mechanisms of the pile running in this case. A factor of friction degradation is proposed to calculate the dynamic skin friction from the static ultimate skin friction of surrounding soil. The comparisons between the predictions to the case history show that the proposed simplified method can be used to predict the pile running condition.     

Postgrouted helical piles behavior through physical modeling by FCV

Piling procedure may disturb the surrounding soil, due to the installation particularly for cast-in-place piles. It causes a reduction in the soil strength parameters and, consequently, pile capacity. To overcome shortcomings and also for improving piles’ capacity, postgrouting as a compensation method is recognized and more developed in recent years. Helical piles, those are used widely in marine and land projects, although, are driven by torque implementation, but soil disturbance is noticed, where number of the helices become up to 3 and more. In this paper, an experimental study program is performed by frustum-confined vessel (FCV) to investigate bearing capacity of model helical piles and also postgrouted cases’ performance. FCV has been used because of its linear distribution of vertical and horizontal stresses from zero at top to maximum at bottom which simulates real field stress conditions. Through experimental study, small-scale helical model piles were made of 4-mm-thick steel plate and have been used with a length of 750?mm. The shaft and helix diameters of model piles have been 32 and 89?mm, respectively. So, the helix-to-shaft ratio (wing ratio) was about 2.8. The helical model piles installed in fine-grained sand as a surrounding soil and then axial loading tests before and after grouting were performed to achieve ultimate pile capacity. Results indicated postgrouting can improve both ratios of toe and frictional soil–pile interactions including upgrading β and N_t factors. In addition, the post grouting phenomena can change the pile geometry due to treated soil bond, resulting better functioning. Therefore, it is a proper method to improve helical piles performance and compensate installation effects in capacity mobilization.