Abstract
This paper presents the results of a full-scale field test program of driven timber displacement piles for the purpose of densification of loose, potentially liquefiable sands and silty sands. Both conventional and experimental timber piles fitted with prefabricated drains to help densify contractive soils during pile installation were assessed in this study. The piles were installed in groups with center-to-center spacing of two to five pile head diameters. Measurements of cone penetration tests (CPTs) revealed the variation of postinstallation increases in penetration resistance with decreases in pile spacing. Additionally, long-term measurements showed that pile spacing–dependent reductions in cone penetration resistance following installation can occur, which have been attributed to relaxation of horizontal stresses. Rough relationships between the average area replacement ratio and change in corrected cone tip resistance were developed. Pre- and postimprovement standard penetration tests conducted in each of the treated zones confirmed the long-term degree of densification noted using the CPT. Measured pre- and postinstallation shear wave velocities indicated that the soil fabric of the previously aged sands was effectively destroyed and that a reduction of small strain stiffness is possible in tandem with densification. The experimental findings in this paper may be broadly applied to displacement piles constructed of materials other than timber.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank the sponsors of this research, which includes the IDEA Program of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, National Academy of Science, under Grant NCHRP-180, and the South Carolina chapter of the Pile Driving Contractors Association (PDCA). The authors gratefully acknowledge the significant effort by Van Hogan, formerly of the PDCA, as well as the member firms that have contributed materials, labor, and equipment: Pile Drivers, S&ME, Soil Consultants, Chuck Dawley Surveying, Cox Wood Industries, and Hayward Baker.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 142 • Issue 12 • December 2016
Copyright
© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 10, 2015
Accepted: Apr 5, 2016
Published online: Jul 19, 2016
Published in print: Dec 1, 2016
Discussion open until: Dec 19, 2016
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