The Capacity of Improved Pile Foundation with various sheet pile lengths on Sand under Vertical and Horizontal Loading

Abstract

Abstract

Improved pile foundation which can be defined as a pile foundation with sheet piles surrounding pile cap is expected to have better performance against seismic loading than the pile foundations. In this study, a series of 1g physical modeling tests were conducted on sand. The model foundations were subjected vertical and horizontal loading on purpose of studying the effect of sheet pile lengths on the capacity of improved pile foundation. The concept of swipe test was adopted to find out the horizontal capacity and shape of failure surface in V-H load space. The effect of sheet pile length to the capacity of existing pile foundation can be evaluated by the results of load-settlement relationship. The loads and settlements were recorded by using load cells and linearly variable differential transducers (LVDTs). The results present the effective tendency that the horizontal capacities of sheet piles combined with pile foundation can withstand more than those of the pile foundation. Moreover, the results show that the longer the sheet piles, the greater horizontal capacity of the foundations.