Behavior and Soil–Structure Interaction of Pervious Concrete Ground-Improvement Piles under Lateral Loading
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 142, Issue 2
Abstract
Granular column ground-improvement methods are widely used to improve bearing capacity and provide a drainage path. However, the behavior of granular columns depends on the confinement provided by the surrounding soil, which limits their use in poor soils. A new ground-improvement method is proposed using pervious concrete piles to provide high permeability while also providing higher stiffness and strength, which are independent of surrounding soil confinement. Building on prior research on the behavior of vertically loaded pervious concrete piles and granular columns, this paper investigates the behavior of laterally-loaded pervious concrete piles and the effects of installation on their response. Two fully-instrumented lateral load tests were conducted on a precast and cast-in-place pile using different installation methods. Advanced sensors measured the soil–structure interaction during installation and under lateral loading. Test results confirmed that laterally-loaded pervious concrete ground-improvement piles behave as flexible laterally-loaded piles, while still providing permeability similar to granular columns. Although the ultimate load capacity of the two piles was not affected by installation, the cast-in-place pile had 55% of the displacement of the precast pile at ultimate load, which indicates soil densification and lateral compression due to installation. The directly-measured curves for the cast-in-place pile also better matched the existing procedures developed for driven piles and showed a higher stiffness and ultimate soil reaction than the precast pile. Results also determined that the zone of soil affected by installation extended to 2.5 D from the pile surface.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge the support received from the Geotechnical Engineering Program of the CMMI Division at the National Science Foundation (Grant No. 0927743). The authors would also like to acknowledge the help of Lehigh University graduate students Hai Lin and Suguang Xiao, Lehigh University undergraduate students Pierre Bick and Caleb Davis, and Lafayette College undergraduate students Martin Anderson and Michael Hezel in conducting the experimental tests. In addition, the authors appreciate the assistance provided by Edward Tomlinson, an instrumentation and system specialist at Lehigh University’s Advanced Technology for Large Structural Systems Engineering Research Center.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 142 • Issue 2 • February 2016
Copyright
© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 29, 2014
Accepted: Jun 24, 2015
Published online: Aug 11, 2015
Discussion open until: Jan 11, 2016
Published in print: Feb 1, 2016
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