Behaviors of Inclined Single Piles and Pile Groups Subjected to Vertical and Horizontal Loads Based on Physical Model Tests in Sand

Abstract

Inclined pile foundations with high inclination angles, subjected to both vertical and horizontal load, are increasingly used due to the advancement in installation technology. This study aimed to characterize the bearing capacities and deformation behavior of inclined pile foundations subjected to vertical and horizontal loads in laboratory-scaled testing. In a series of pile-modeled tests, the stainless-steel pile as a model pile, the single pile and the symmetrical 2 × 1 pile group were installed in dense sand at 0°, 10°, 20°, and 30° of inclination angles. The experiment in an inclined single pile subjected to vertical load aimed to minimize the eccentricity effect. The results showed that the optimal pile inclinations for vertical load were 10° and 20° for single pile and pile group, respectively. For optimal pile inclinations of horizontal load, they were between −10° to −20° and 20° for single pile and pile group, respectively. The ratios of the ultimate horizontal load to the ultimate vertical load (Quh/Quv) ranged from 0.02 to 0.19 and 0.15 to 0.23 for the single pile and the pile group tests, respectively. The group efficiencies for vertically loaded pile groups ranged from 58%–139% and 107%–130% for horizontal loading.