Experimental study of shear-key equipped pile to grout connection under cyclic loading

A technical solution for tidal turbine foundation in granite seabed consists of grouted steel piles. The piles would be subjected to cyclic loading due to the severe service conditions. The mechanical behaviour at the interface between the pile and the surrounding media is one of the key points that determine the bearing capacity of the foundation system. Experimental research work has been carried out in the laboratory to study the grouted pile-to-rock connection (GPRC) and focused more precisely on the pile to grout connection when the pile is equipped with shear-keys that enhance the interface capacity. Monotonic and cyclic shear tests were performed using a specific direct shear test device (BCR3D), allowing application of sample confining conditions close to the in-situ conditions, namely constant normal stiffness conditions. Cyclic tests - either under one way or two-way shear loading application - were performed on several samples, under both constant volume and various constant stiffness boundary conditions. This study has shown that the strength of the interface is highly dependent on the combination of mean load, cyclic amplitudes and number of cycles applied to the interface. Cyclic failure was observed with less than 30 cycles for two-way and one-way cyclic loading.