Discussion of "Lateral Load Behavior of Pile Group in Sand"

A large‐scale group of steel pipe piles and an isolated single pile were subjected to two‐way cyclic lateral loading. The tests were conducted in a submerged firm to dense sand that was placed and compacted around the piles. All of the piles were extensively instrumented so that the variation in soil resistance within the group could be determined. The response of the piles in the group was also compared with the response of the isolated single pile. The loss of efficiency of the piles in the group was related principally to “shadowing” (i.e., the loss of soil resistance of piles in the trailing rows). Piles in the leading row supported a large proportion of the group load and behaved similarly to the isolated single pile. Two‐way cyclic loading had little effect on the distribution of load to the piles in the group, but tended to densify the sand around both the single pile and the group piles.

Closure of "Lateral Load Behavior of Pile Group in Sand"

Evaluation of soil spring methods for response spectrum analysis of pile-supported structures via dynamic centrifuge tests

Evaluation of the soil–pile interface properties in the lateral direction for seismic analysis in sand

Pushover analysis for flexible and semi‐flexible pile‐supported wharf structures accounting the dynamic magnification factors due to torsional effects

A key issue in the design of pile-supported structures on sloping ground is soil–pile interaction, which becomes more complicated in case of dynamic loading. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of slope on the dynamic behavior of pile-supported structures by performing a series of centrifuge tests. Three models were prepared by varying the slope and soil density of dry sand grounds. The mass supported on 3 by 3 group piles was shaken applying sinusoidal wave with various amplitudes. Test results showed that the location of maximum values and distribution shape of the bending moment below the ground surface varied noticeably with the pile position in the slope case. The relationship between the soil resistance and pile deflection (p–yp loops) was carefully evaluated by applying the piecewise cubic spline method to fit the measured bending moment curves along piles. It was found that the shape of the p–yp loops was irregular due to the effect of slope, and immensely influenced by the movement of the unstable zone. In addition, the effect of the pile group in the horizontal case was evaluated by comparing with the previously suggested curves that represent the relationship between the soil resistance and pile–soil relative displacement (p–y curves) to propose the multiplier coefficients.

Sung-Ruyl Kim

Papers

Evaluation of the dynamic p – y p loops of pile-supported structures on sloping ground