Bearing Capacity of Tubular Piles: Technological Improvements and Model Testing

Abstract

AbstractSome offshore and marine structures often include steel tubular piles of essential length (80–100 m and more) that should provide rather high bearing capacity regarding essential axial load. To increase piles bearing capacity under static pressing load, such an additional element as the internal diaphragm has been applied in some practical cases. Presented research aimed to study two connected processes during steel tubular pile driving: soil plug formation at the tip of the open-end pile and soil behavior under the internal diaphragm fixed inside the tubular pile’s shaft. Results of physical modelling in laboratory conditions and their numerical analysis are discussed. Numerical analysis of the gained experimental data gave the possibility to apply approximating function with good correlation indexes. Obtained information of internal diaphragm application may be useful to provide an increase of pile’s bearing capacity (in case of bearing capacity deficit) or to justify pile length reduction. Gained conclusions may facilitate design and construction of deep-water piled structures. KeywordsBearing capacityTubular pileSoil plagueInternal diaphragmLaboratory modelling