Numerical Investigation of Mechanisms Affecting Performance of Cyclically Loaded Tension Piles in Sand
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 145, Issue 10
Abstract
Offshore wind turbines supported on jacket structures are subject to many cycles of axial loading due to wind and waves, which may densify the soil around the piles and decrease the lateral stress on the soil-pile interface. Static axial loads may cause dilation of adjacent soil and increase the lateral stress. Results from model tests have demonstrated the potential for increases and decreases in pile stiffness, capacity, and pullout rate depending on the combination of static and cyclic loads, but the fundamental mechanisms are not fully understood; a one-dimensional, axisymmetric finite-element model is developed to investigate these mechanisms. The Dafalias-Manzari bounding surface plasticity model is used for the soil. Downward shear and cavity expansion at the pile interface are used to simulate installation, which is followed by the application of static tension and cyclic loads. Static tension causes initial contraction of near-pile soil, followed by dilation if the tensile load is further increased. Presence of a moderate static tension results in increased stiffness initially in one-way cyclic loading. With additional cycling, overall contraction in the far field leads to reduction of lateral stress and localized dilation (loosening) at the interface. Furthermore, if the cyclic loads cause small plastic deformations, however small, the numerical model suggests that tension piles would eventually pull out. Limitations of the numerical model are critically assessed.
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Acknowledgments
This work was inspired by a series of discussions with Jacquelyn Allmond, Christopher Hunt, and others during a collaboration between UC Davis and MMI Engineering, Inc. (a subsidiary of Geosyntec Consultants). The authors would like to acknowledge the advice from Professor Pedro Arduino and Dr. Alborz Ghofrani at the University of Washington regarding numerical implementation issues. The authors also appreciate the guidance from Professors Alejandro Martinez, Jason DeJong, Ross Boulanger, and Katerina Ziotopoulou, and the advice and assistance of Trevor Carey, Andreas Gavras, and Sumeet Sinha at the University of California, Davis.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 145 • Issue 10 • October 2019
Copyright
©2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 10, 2018
Accepted: May 1, 2019
Published online: Aug 5, 2019
Published in print: Oct 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Jan 5, 2020
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