Effects of Temperature and Thermal Cycles on Frictional Behavior of Kaolin–Concrete Interface
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 22, Issue 11
Abstract
Frictional energy piles have been emerging as a proenvironmental means in the industry to exploit shallow geothermal energy. A growing concern for energy piles is their bearing capacity typically subjected to temperature variations. To better understand the temperature-dependent behavior involving bearing capacity, herein a series of direct shear tests were carried out to examine the effects of temperature and thermal cycles on the frictional behavior of the pile–soil interface for energy piles. The pile–soil interface consisting of fine-aggregate concrete and kaolin clay was tested under four normal stress levels, i.e., 50, 100, 200, and 300 kPa. The results suggest that: (1) a positive correlation may exist between temperature and the shear strength of the pile–soil interface; (2) the adhesion of the interface may vary with temperature in terms of a nonmonotonic function; and (3) the shear strength of the interface appears to decrease with an increasing thermal cycle and/or an increasing fluctuation amplitude of temperature within a temperature cycle. The experimental data obtained here may help enrich the understanding of the complex behavior of the shear strength of the pile–soil interface for energy piles and related soil–structure interaction.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank the valuable comments by Reviewers and Editors. The financial support from the following is appreciated: (1) The National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51778585); and (2) The Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province (Grant No. LHZ19E090001). Special recognition is due to Mrs. Melissa Galay for providing language refinement to the first draft of this manuscript.
Notation
The following symbols are used in this paper:
- Fv
- adhesion force of an interface;
- h
- thickness of a liquid film filled between two flat planes;
- hbw(T)
- thickness of a bound water layer at T°C;
- hbw,20
- bound water thickness at 20°C;
- hf(T)
- thickness of a free water layer at T°C;
- hr(T)
- thickness of a real water film at the interface zone at T°C;
- hsbw(T)
- thickness of a strongly bound water layer at T°C;
- hwbw(T)
- thickness of a weakly bound water layer at T°C;
- R
- radius of circular meniscus;
- T
- temperature of the interface;
- ts
- time to separate the two flat surfaces;
- αbf
- characteristic material property;
- η
- dynamic viscosity of a liquid; and
- η(T)
- dynamic viscosity of water at T°C.
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Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 22 • Issue 11 • November 2022
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© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 30, 2021
Accepted: Jun 12, 2022
Published online: Aug 30, 2022
Published in print: Nov 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Jan 30, 2023
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