Analysis of influencing factors of penetration mechanism and vertical bearing characteristics of monopile in calcareous sand: Laboratory model testing and in-situ testing

Abstract

The construction of islands and reef engineering structures in marine environments has been a hot topic in recent years, and calcareous sand, which possesses unique physical properties, is widely distributed on islands and reefs. Due to the properties of calcareous sand, engineering problems such as pile slipping while driving and a low bearing capacity during service can occur. To address the key problem of pile‒soil interactions in calcareous sand foundations, laboratory model and in situ tests were conducted, accounting for factors such as impact energy, relative density, pile-forming method, and pile aspect ratio. First, the penetration mechanism of hammered piles in calcareous sand was studied. Then, the differences in vertical bearing characteristics between hammered and pre-embedded piles under different conditions were explored. The pile driving test results showed that a higher impact energy and lower relative density are more conducive to pile sinking. Moreover, as the number of hammer drops and dynamic penetration resistance increase with increasing burial depth, the pile tip resistance is the main factor limiting pile penetration in calcareous sand. The vertical static loading test revealed that particle breakage accelerates soil redistribution around the pile and that compaction enhances the bearing capacity of the pile. The pile aspect ratio, relative density and pile-forming method also play major roles in the vertical bearing capacity of piles in calcareous sand. In addition, the skin friction of a pile rapidly increases to the ultimate value along a multisegment trend of polyline functions. Similarly, the pile tip resistance rapidly increases at the initial loading stage, exhibiting the behavior of an end-bearing pile. The in situ test results indicated that the pile penetration depth in coral calcareous sand is an important factor affecting the bearing capacity.