The study of vertical and raked model piles in deep and shallow clay beds

Baligh, Fatma El-Zahraa Aly (1984) The study of vertical and raked model piles in deep and shallow clay beds. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.

Abstract

The aim of this experimental study was to explore the validity of a numerical solution from the Department of Environment computer program "PGROUP", based on linear elastic theory, for raking pile groups and vertical single piles and pile groups embedded in soft clay beds of different depths. Small scale aluminium model piles (diameter D = 12.09mm and slenderness ratio L/D = 30) were used in this investigation. The piles which were instrumented by strain gauged load cells at the top of the pile shaft and at the pile toe were tested both singly and in groups of six, with spacing-to-diameter ratio S/D = 2.5. The beds were prepared in a large consolidation cell (1.0 m diameter and 2.5 m deep) to simulate an elastic half space. Piles and pile groups were tested under vertical, inclined, centric and eccentric loads simulating working conditions. In addition to obtaining new data on the consolidation behaviour of large laboratory clay beds, the main objectives of the research were:(i) to study the effect of reducing the depth of the clay bed above a rigid base on pile flexibilities, pile-shaft load distribution and pile-toe base load; (ii) to determine the influence of pile rake on the behaviour of a pile group in terms of its effect on group flexibilities and load distribution amongst the piles; (iii) to compare all the working load experimental results with analytical predictions from PGROUP.

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