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Field Study of the Dynamic Response of Single Piles and Pile Groups in Stiff Clay

Office/Division Program
TAP
Project Number
45
Research Initiation Date (Award Date)
Research Performing Activity
The University of Houston
Research Principal Investigator
Dr. Michael W. O'Neill
Research Contracting Agency
Description

To investigate the behavior of single piles and pile groups under dynamic loading. Tests were conducted on instrumented full scale single piles and pile groups. The project is a cooperative effort with Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Furgro-Gulf, Inc., the University of Houston, and 9 other sponsors (Arco, Brown and Root, Chevron, Citgo, Exxon, Marathon, Mobil, Raymond International, and Shell). The purpose of the program is to improve the understanding of dynamic pile-soil-pile interaction of single piles and pile groups in a cohesive soil. This is a companion study to Project No. 46.

Latest progress update

Complete. Dynamic load tests were run on single and nine-pile clusters by applying quasi-harmonic, vertical and horizontal loads to the pile heads. For single piles, predictions modeled vertical behavior when loads were below those required to produce static failure. Vertical behavior of the cluster could not be reasonably modeled. Horizontal behavior of the single pile was predicted accurately below system resonance. Mathematical models need to be improved in some cases to account for phenomena such as radiation damping.