Experimental and Numerical Study on the Winged Pile-Soil Interaction under Lateral Loads

Increasing the cross-sectional area of piles leads to an increase in the lateral bearing resistance and reduces displacements near ground level. This increase compensates for the reduction in soil stiffness at the seabed level. Installing wings near the mudline level is one approach for increasing the area of the pile in mudline level. This research paper discusses a number of small-scale laboratory models and FEM models to study the benefit of adding wings on the variation of bearing capacity of laterally pile loaded embedded in sandy soil. To determine the advantages of adding wings to the pile, four embedded ratios (4, 6, 8, 10) were used to model both flexible and rigid pile types with various wing numbers and dimensions. The results revealed that adding wings to the pile improves lateral load resistance and greatly reduces lateral deflection. So, to achieve better resistance, wings must be linked with the pile shaft perpendicular to the lateral load applied nearer the top of the pile head. Increasing the number of wings results in a large increase in lateral pile capacity. The ultimate lateral applied load is proportional to the rise in relative density at the same (L/D) ratio.

Оценка прочности стальной винтовой однолопастной сваи при действии осевых нагрузок

The purpose of this work is resolving the problem of evaluating the structural strength of the steel screw single-bladed pile under the pressure of axial loads in various soil conditions. Calculations in this area constitute the necessary condition for assessing the possibility and feasibility of using pile-screw technology in specific construction conditions, inter alia, at main pipeline facilities. The dependence of the pressure curve on the blade on the soil stiffness modulus was revealed in the course of numerical simulation performed by the finite element method in the ANSYS software. The maximum pressures are observed at the junction of the blade and the pile shaft with a large soil stiffness modulus, if the soil stiffness modulus is small, then the maximum pressures are observed at the edge of the blade. An analytical method for assessing the strength of a single-blade screw pile is proposed based on the theory of bending of circular and annular plates, as well as the results of numerical modeling. Comparison of the analytical method for calculating the strength of a screw pile with the results of numerical modeling to assess the accuracy. The comparison results showed an accuracy sufficient for engineering calculation methods. Цель настоящей работы – решение задачи оценки прочности конструкции стальной винтовой однолопастной сваи при воздействии осевых нагрузок в различных грунтовых условиях. Расчеты в этой области – необходимое условие для оценки возможности и целесообразности применения свайно-винтовой технологии в конкретных условиях строительства, в том числе на объектах магистральных трубопроводов. По результатам численного моделирования, выполненного методом конечных элементов в ПК ANSYS, выявлена зависимость изменения эпюры давления на лопасть винтовой сваи от модуля деформации грунта: с увеличением значения модуля деформации грунта максимальные давления наблюдаются в узле сопряжения лопасти и ствола сваи, при малых значениях модуля деформации максимальные давления отмечаются у края лопасти. На основании теории изгиба круглых и кольцевых пластин, а также результатов численного моделирования предложен расчетный метод оценки несущей способности однолопастной винтовой сваи по материалу. Для оценки точности разработанного подхода к расчету прочности винтовой сваи проведено сравнение предложенного аналитического метода с результатами численного моделирования, которое показало достаточную для инженерных методов расчета точность. Общий принцип, заложенный в рассмотренном методе расчета, может быть использован для создания различных эпюр давления на лопасть в зависимости от модуля деформации грунта и характеристик винтовой сваи.

Energy-Based Approach for the Analysis of a Vertically Loaded Pile in Multi-layered Non-linear Soil Strata

Numerous studies have been reported in published literature on analytical solutions for a vertically loaded pile installed in a homogeneous single soil layer. However, piles are rarely installed in an ideal homogeneous single soil layer. This study presents an energy-based approach to obtain displacements in an axially loaded pile embedded in multi-layered soil considering soil non-linearity. A simple power law based on published literature is used where the soil is assumed to be nonlinear-elastic and perfectly plastic. A Tresca yield surface is assumed to develop the soil stiffness variation with different strain levels that defines the non-linearity of the soil strata. The pile displacement response is obtained using the software MATLAB R2019a and the results from the energy-based method are compared with those obtained from the field test data as well as the finite element analysis based on the software ANSYS 2019R3. It is observed that the results obtained from the energy-based method are in better agreement with the field measured values than those obtained from the FEA. The approach presented in this study can be extended to piles embedded in multi-layered soil strata subjected to different cases of lateral loads as well as the combined action of lateral and axial loads. Furthermore, the same approach can be extended to study the response of the soil to group piles.

Response analysis of subgrade soils using signal phase shift obtained from laboratory lightweight deflectometer tests

Over the past decades, the use of fast and reliable measurement techniques of soil mechanical properties has gained popularity. The lightweight deflectometer (LWD) is among the tools developed that can allow one to determine the elastic modulus of soil. Viscosity response components in pavement or soil typically induce phase shifts between stress and strain peaks, which can be translated to phase angle. Subgrade soil may exhibit varying response types depending on its nature and characteristics. Using large laboratory subgrade samples, an experiment was designed to measure the elastic modulus and phase angle with an LWD in different stress and humidity conditions. A model associating the elastic modulus inferred from LWD tests with parameters describing stress, water content and soil properties was proposed. This model is fundamentally inferred from the relationship between elastic modulus and phase shift, and was used to assess the relative contribution of varying conditions on soil stiffness.

Application of ANN in Predicting the Cantilever Wall Deflection in Undrained Clay

The main objective of this study is to propose an artificial neural network (ANN)-based tool for predicting the cantilever wall deflection in undrained clay. The excavation width, the excavation depth, the wall thickness, the at-rest lateral earth pressure coefficient, the soil shear strength ratio at mid-depth of the wall, and the soil stiffness ratio at mid-depth of the wall were selected as the input parameters, whereas the cantilever wall deflection was selected as an output parameter. A set of verified numerical data were utilized to train, test, and validate the ANN models. Two commonly used performance indicators, namely, root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE), were selected to evaluate the performance of the proposed model. The results indicated that the proposed model can reliably predict the cantilever wall deflection in undrained clay. Moreover, the sensitivity analysis showed that the excavation depth is the most important parameter. Finally, a graphical user interface (GUI) tool was developed based on the proposed ANN model, which is much easier and less expensive to be used in practice. The results of this study can help engineers to better understand and predict the cantilever wall deflection in undrained clay.

A constitutive model for gassy clay

Fine-grained marine sediments often contain gas bubbles that can cause many geotechnical problems. This soil has a composite structure with gas bubbles fitting within the saturated soil matrix. The gas cavity has a detrimental effect on the soil stiffness and strength when they are filled with undissolved gas only. The gas cavity can be filled with gas and pore water due to ‘bubble flooding’. Bubble flooding has a beneficial effect on the soil stiffness and undrained shear strength because it makes the saturated soil matrix partially drained under a globally undrained condition. A critical state constitutive model for gassy clay is presented which accounts for the composite structure of the soil and bubble flooding. The gas cavity is assumed to have a detrimental effect on the plastic hardening of the saturated soil matrix. Some of the bubbles can be flooded by pore water from the saturated soil matrix which leads to higher mean effective stress of the saturated soil matrix. Consequently, both soil stiffness and strength increase. Only one new parameter is introduced to model the detrimental effect of gas bubbles on plastic hardening. The model has been validated by the results of three gassy clays.

Reliability Updating of Offshore Wind Substructures by Use of Digital Twin Information

This paper presents a probabilistic framework for updating the structural reliability of offshore wind turbine substructures based on digital twin information. In particular, the information obtained from digital twins is used to quantify and update the uncertainties associated with the structural dynamics and load modeling parameters in fatigue damage accumulation. The updated uncertainties are included in a probabilistic model for fatigue damage accumulation used to update the structural reliability. The updated reliability can be used as input to optimize decision models for operation and maintenance of existing structures and design of new structures. The framework is exemplified based on two numerical case studies with a representative offshore wind turbine and information acquired from previously established digital twins. In this context, the effect of updating soil stiffness and wave loading, which constitute two highly uncertain and sensitive parameters, is investigated. It is found that updating the soil stiffness significantly affects the reliability of the joints close to the mudline, while updating the wave loading significantly affects the reliability of the joints localized in the splash zone. The increased uncertainty related to virtual sensing, which is employed to update wave loading, reduces structural reliability.

Influence of the topographic effect on the seismic response of buried pipelines

Detailed study of the response of pipelines during seismic excitation can help reduce physical and financial losses during and after an earthquake. The current research investigated the seismic behavior of pipelines passing through variations in topography using two-dimensional and three-dimensional modeling. Their behavior has been modeled at the crest and toe of a slope and during longitudinal passage through the topography. The effects of the soil stiffness, diameter-to-thickness ratio of the pipeline, height-to-half-width ratio (shape factor), and input wave characteristics on the performance of the pipeline have been investigated. The results indicate that topographic effects can increase the strain on pipelines and the factors studied are crucial to accommodating this potential hazard.