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Pile Foundation Design for Ocean Structures

Office/Division Program
TAP
Project Number
54
Category
Research Initiation Date (Award Date)
Research Performing Activity
Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory
Research Principal Investigator
Mr. Norman D. Albertsen & Mr. William L. Armstrong
Research Contracting Agency
Description

To evaluate the Prevost effective stress model in undrained soil conditions and to identify the importance of grain cementation and grain crush ability in preventing the development of lateral pile friction in coral-lime sands. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the boundary layer of crushed material developed around the pile during insertion. From this information, determine the physical mechanism which prevents the development of significant lateral friction against the pile.

Latest progress update

Complete. Approximately 40 percent of this project's effort was directed to the evaluation of the Prevost Stress model. The computer program code for 'Dynaflow' was obtained and installed on the Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory computer system. Field pile data was received from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), for drained and undrained soils. This information will be compared with the data as predicted by the model. The remaining 60 percent of the effort is directed to problems associated with coralline sands. Certain behavioral patterns were identified with respect to crush ability, cement content, density, driving resistance, and pullout resistance.