Elastic Buckling Capacities of Piles Subject to Partial Section Loss

Finite element analyses were conducted to determine critical buckling loads for rectangular, hollow pipe, and I-shaped piles subject to corrosion losses in the splash zone. Elastic buckling analyses generated Euler buckling loads for models with partial section loss in the splash zone as well as section loss across the entire pile length. Cross-sections were subjected to 25%, 50%, and 75% material loss. Rectangular and hollow pipe piles retained more than 70% of their capacity even when 75% of the material was lost in the splash zone. The I-shaped pile, however, became unstable for material loss exceeding 25% because lost flange material significantly reduced the moment of inertia. Results for hollow pipe piles indicate that they are likely to experience inelastic yield prior to buckling. For all three cross- sections, critical buckling loads were higher when loss was limited to the splash zone versus the full pile length.