Centrifuge Modeling of a Pile-Supported Granular Earth-Platform
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 140, Issue 2
Abstract
Soil reinforcement by vertical rigid piles is a suitable technique to solve soft-soil foundation problems. This technique consists of transferring the load of a pile-supported structure to a resistant, less compressible soil layer. The loads are transferred on pile heads by arching mechanisms in an earth-platform located between piles and structure. The role of the earth-platform is to distribute the loads among the piles and to minimize the fraction of the load applied on the soft compressible soil. Centrifuge tests are performed at levels of acceleration with a specific apparatus containing 63 rigid piles. The behavior of a granular earth-platform with rigid pile reinforcement is studied. The granular earth-platform is simulated with Hostun sand. The physical model is widely instrumented to compare the load-transfer efficiency and the surface settlements for several geometrical configurations. The influence of the height of the earth-platform and the spacing between the piles on load-transfer mechanisms are discussed as well as the effect of a cyclic loading. In this study, the low-height earth-platform is investigated to simulate extreme geometrical conditions. These low-height earth-platforms are suitable for low compressible soils, and in some cases a concrete slab is used above this platform.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
Barchard, J. (2002). “Centrifuge modelling of piled embankments on soft soils.” M.Sc. thesis, Univ. of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada.
Baudouin, G., et al. (2008a). “Caractérisation mécanique d’un mélange de sable d’Hostun.” Proc., JNGG08, 491–498 (in French).
Baudouin, G., Thorel, L., and Rault, G. (2010). “3D load transfer in pile-supported earth platforms over soft soils: Centrifuge modeling.” Proc., 7th Int. Conf. on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics, S. Springman, J. Laue, and L. Seward, eds., Taylor and Francis, Presses des Ponts, Paris, 1303–1308.
Baudouin, G., Thorel, L., Rault, G., Garnier, J., Derkx, F., and Buttigieg, S. (2008b). “Centrifuge modelling of 3D load transfer in reinforced soft soils.” Proc., Int. Conf. on Foundations, IHS BRE Press, Bracknell, U.K., 1303–1313.
Blanc, M., Rault, G., Thorel, L., and Almeida, M. (2013). “Centrifuge investigation of load transfer mechanisms in a granular mattress above a rigid inclusions network.” Geotextiles Geomembr., 36, 92–105.
Briançon, L., et al., eds. (2004). “Etat des connaissances: Amélioration des sols par inclusions rigides.” Proc., Symp. Int. sur l’Amélioration des Sols en Place, A. Dhouib, J.-P. Magnan, and P. Mestat, eds., Presses de l’Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, Paris (in French).
Briançon, L., and Simon, B. (2012). “Performance of pile-supported embankment over soft soil: Full-scale experiment.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 551–561.
British Standards Institution (BSI). (2010). “Code of practice for strengthened/reinforced soils and other fills.” BS 8006, London.
Centre for Civil Engineering Research and Codes (CUR). (2001). Guideline road construction over peat and organic soils, Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, Kingdom of Netherlands, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Collin, J. G. (2007). “U.S. state-of-practice for the design of the geosynthetic reinforced load transfer platform in column supported embankments.” Proc., GeoDenver 2007, ASCE, Reston, VA.
Collin, J. G., Han, J., and Huang, J. (2005a). “Geosynthetic-reinforced column-support embankment design guidelines.” Proc., North America Geosynthetics Society Conf.
Collin, J. G., Watson, C. H., and Han, J. (2005b). “Column-supported embankment solves time constraint for new road construction.” Geotechnical Special Publication No. 130-142, ASCE, Reston, VA, 437–446.
Corté, J. F. (1989a). “L’essor de la modélisation en centrifugeuse en géotechnique.” Rev. Fr. Géotech., 48, 7–13 (in French).
Corté, J. F. (1989b). “Model testing: Geotechnical model tests.” Proc., XII ICSMFE Rio, Balkema, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 2553–2571.
Craig, W. H. (1985). “Modeling pile installation in centrifuge experiments.” Proc., 11th Int. Conf. on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Taylor & Francis, San Francisco, 1101–1104.
Elias, V., Welsh, J., Warren, J., Lukas, R., Collin, J. G., and Berg, R. R. (2004). “Ground improvement methods.” Rep. No. FHWA-NHI-04-001, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Washington, DC.
Ellis, E. A., and Aslam, R. (2009a). “Arching in piled embankments: Comparison of centrifuge tests and predictive methods. Part 1 of 2.” Ground Eng., 42(6), 34–38.
Ellis, E. A., and Aslam, R. (2009b). “Arching in piled embankments: Comparison of centrifuge tests and predictive methods. Part 2 of 2.” Ground Eng., July 2009, 28–31.
Filz, G. M., and Smith, M. E. (2007). “Net vertical loads on geosynthetic reinforcement in column-supported embankments.” Soil Improv., ASCE, Reston, VA, 1–10.
Fioravante, V. (2011). “Load transfer from a raft to a pile with an interposed layer.” Geotechnique, 61(2), 121–132.
Gabr, M. A., Robinson, B., Collin, J. G., and Berg, R. R. (2006). “Promoting geosynthetics use on federal lands highway projects.” FHWA-CFL/TD-06-009, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Washington, DC.
Garnier, J. (2001a). “First Coulomb lecture: Physical models in geotechnics: State of the art and recent advances.” Proc., Caquot Conf., CFMS Editions, Paris, 1–59.
Garnier, J. (2001b). “Physical models in geotechnics I: Evolution of the experimental techniques and of the domains of application.” Rev. Fr. Géotech., 97, 3–29.
Garnier, J. (2002) “Physical models in geotechnics II: Validation of the models and examples of application.” Rev. Fr. Géotech., 98, 5–28.
Garnier, J., et al. (2007). “Catalogue of scaling laws and similitude questions in geotechnical centrifuge modelling.” Int. J. Phys. Modell. Geotech., 17(3), 1–24.
Garnier, J., and Pecker, A. (1999). “Use of centrifuge tests for the validation of innovative concepts in foundation engineering.” Earthquake geotechnical engineering, P. Sêco e Pinto, ed., Balkema, Rotterdam, 431–439.
German Geotechnical Society (EBGEO). (2011). Recommendations for design and analysis of earth structures using geosynthetic reinforcements, 2nd Ed., Ernst and Sohn, Berlin.
Han, J. (1999). “Design and construction of embankments on geosynthetic reinforcement platforms supported by piles.” Proc., ASCE/PaDOT Geotechnical Seminar, ASCE, Reston, VA, 66–84.
Han, J., and Gabr, M. A. (2002). “Numerical analysis of geosynthetic-reinforced and pile-supported earth-platforms over soft soil.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 44–53.
Hewlett, W. J., and Randolph, M. F. (1988). “Analysis of piled embankment.” Ground Eng., 21(3), 12–18.
Jamiolkowski, M. B., Ricceri, G., and Simonini, P. (2009). “Safeguarding Venice from high tides: Site characterization and geotechnical problems.” Proc., 17th Int. Conf. of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, IOS Press, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 3209–3227.
Lee, S. C., Leung, C. F., and Chow, Y. K. (2005). “Performance of oil tank foundations.” ASCE Geotechnical Special Publication, Vol. 132, ASCE, Reston, VA.
Love, J., and Milligan, G. (2003). “Design methods for basally reinforced pile-supported embankments over soft ground.” Ground Eng., 36(3), 39–43.
Low, B. K., Tang, S. K., and Choa, V. (1994). “Arching in piled embankments.” J. Geotech. Engrg., 1917–1938.
Mankbadi, R., Mansfield, J., Wilson-Fahmy, R., Hanna, S., and Krstic, V. (2004). “Ground improvement utilizing vibro-concrete columns.” ASCE Geotechnical Special Publication No. 124, ASCE, Reston, VA, 473–484.
Okyay, U. S. (2010). “Etude expérimentale et numérique des transferts de charge dans un massif renforcé par inclusions rigides: Application à des cas de chargements statiques et dynamiques.” Ph.D. thesis, Institute National des Science Appliquees (INSA), Univ. of Lyon, Lyon, France (in French).
Ovesen, N. K. (1979). “The scaling law relationship.” Proc., 7th European Conf. in Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Vol. 4, 319–323.
Pecker, A. (2004). “Design and construction of the Rion Antirion Bridge.” ASCE Geotechnical Special Publication: Geotechnical Engineering for Transportation Projects, M. K. Yegian and E. Kavazanjian, eds., Vol. 126, ASCE, Reston, VA, 216–240.
Phillips, E. (1869). “De l’équilibre des solides élastiques.” Comptes Rendus à l’Académie des Sciences de Paris 68, Académie des Sciences de Paris, Paris (in French).
Rault, G., et al. (2010a). “Inclusions rigides en centrifugeuse: Développement d’un dispositif experimental à plateau mobile.” Proc., JNGG10 Grenoble, Presses des Ponts, Paris, 721–728.
Rault, G., et al. (2010b). “Mobile tray for simulation of 3D load transfer in pile-supported earth platforms.” Proc., 7th Int. Conf. on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics, S. Springman, J. Laue, and L. Seward, eds., Taylor and Francis, London, 261–266.
Rigid Inclusion Ground Improvements (ASIRI) National Project. (2012). Recommandations pour la conception, le dimensionnement, l’exécution et le contrôle de l’amélioration [Recommendations for the design, construction and control of rigid inclusion ground improvements], Presses des Ponts, Paris (in French).
Schofield, A. N. (1980). “Cambridge geotechnical centrifuge operations.” Geotechnique, 30(3), 227–268.
Stewart, M. E., Navin, M. P., and Filz, G. M. (2004). “Analysis of a column supported test embankment at the I-95/Route 1 interchange.” Proc., Geo-Trans 2004 Conf., ASCE, Reston, VA, 1337–1346.
Taylor, R. N. (1995). “Centrifuges in modelling: Principles and scale effects.” Geotechnical Centrifuge Technology, R. N. Taylor, ed., Blackie Academic and Professional, Glasgow, Scotland, 19–33.
Terzaghi, K. (1943). Theoretical soil mechanics, Wiley, New York.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 7, 2012
Accepted: Jul 16, 2013
Published online: Jul 18, 2013
Published in print: Feb 1, 2014
Discussion open until: Apr 21, 2014
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.