Interface Characteristics and Laboratory Constructability Tests of Novel Fiber-Reinforced Polymer/Concrete Piles
Publication: Journal of Composites for Construction
Volume 9, Issue 3
Abstract
Conventional pile materials such as steel, concrete, and timber are prone to deterioration for many reasons. Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) concrete composites represent an alternative construction material for deep foundations that can eliminate many of the performance disadvantages of traditional piling materials. However, FRP composites present several difficulties related to constructability, and the lack of design tools for their implementation as a foundation element. This paper describes the results of an experimental study on frictional FRP/dense sand interface characteristics and the constructability of FRP–concrete composite piles. An innovative toe driving technique is developed to install the empty FRP shells in the soil and self-consolidating concrete is subsequently cast in them. The experimental program involves interface shear tests on small FRP samples and uplift load tests on large-scale model piles. Two different FRP pile materials with different roughness and a reference steel pile are examined. Static uplift load tests are conducted on different piles installed in soil samples subjected to different confining pressures in the pressure chamber. The results showed that the interface friction for FRP materials compared favorably with conventional steel material. It was shown that toe driving is suitable for installation of FRP piles in dense soils.
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Acknowledgments
The writers would like to thank Mr. Carl Ealy, Head of Deep Foundation Research at the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for providing the pile driving hammer and Mr. Helge Wittholz of Polymarin-Bolwll Composites Inc., Huron Park, Ontario, for providing the FRP II pipes examined in this study.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Composites for Construction
Volume 9 • Issue 3 • June 2005
Pages: 274 - 283
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Dec 23, 2002
Accepted: Oct 10, 2003
Published online: Jun 1, 2005
Published in print: Jun 2005
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