Experimental and theoretical studies of laterally loaded finned piles in sand

Abstract

Large lateral loads may act on pile foundation supporting structures, such as bridge abutments, retaining walls, and structures subjected to wind–earthquake loads. A pile with fins is a newly developed type of pile foundation that is capable of supporting large lateral loads. In the present study an attempt is made to evaluate the improvement in lateral capacity of a pile with fins mounted close to the pile head. Small-scale model tests and a numerical study using finite element analysis were performed on regular piles without (fins) and piles with fins. These piles were installed in sand of different relative densities (D_r= 35% and 78%). The investigations were carried out by varying the length, width, and shape of the fins, and type of pile. Results reveal that there is a significant increase in lateral resistance of the piles after mounting the fins close to the pile head. The increase in lateral resistance gained by placing fins on a pile varies with geometries of the pile and fins. The lateral resistance increases with the increase in length of the fins until the fin’s length is equal to 0.4 of the pile length. Based on the results of the laboratory model and numerical analysis, critical values of fin parameters for maximum improvement are suggested. The agreement between observed and computed results is found to be reasonably good in terms of ultimate lateral load and fin efficiency. A comparison between the model results and the prototype-scale results is also studied.