Improved Relationships for the Pile Base Response in Clayey Soils
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 147, Issue 10
Abstract
Recent research on the topic of pile base resistance has demonstrated that the guidelines provided by existing design manuals and codes are rather conservative in the case of clayey soils under undrained conditions. With the aim of investigating this topic more rigorously, a computationally intensive study was carried out to quantify the effect of the soil rigidity index on the response of pile base resistance. A precise assessment of the results led to the formulation of hyperbolic relationships that capture the development of the base resistance as a function of settlement. The relationships were implemented in a beam column analysis and validated against a full axisymmetric numerical analysis and also with respect to field data from a pile test performed using an Osterberg cell near the pile base. The validation process demonstrated the usefulness of the method and recommendations arising with respect to mobilization of the pile base resistance. This study should, therefore, assist in the development of more scientifically based guidelines for pile design that balance safety and economy.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to the University of Thessaly for the use of computer facilities and for software availability. They would like also to express their gratitude to Dr. Youngho Kim (at the University of Western Australia) and Professor P. Dakoulas (at the University of Thessaly) for their valuable contributions related to the ABAQUS analyses.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 147 • Issue 10 • October 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 17, 2020
Accepted: May 14, 2021
Published online: Jul 16, 2021
Published in print: Oct 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Dec 16, 2021
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Cited by
- Emilios M. Comodromos, Mark F. Randolph, Improved Relationships for the Pile Base Response in Sandy Soils, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 10.1061/JGGEFK.GTENG-11035, 149, 8, (2023).