Effect of variation of the loading direction on the displacement accumulation of large-diameter piles under cyclic lateral loading in sand

Abstract

Foundation piles supporting offshore structures experience cyclic lateral loading arising from waves and wind, which are not typically uni-directional over the lifetime of the structure. This paper presents results from centrifuge experiments in sand, representing a large diameter prototype tested at stress levels similar to the field subjected to cyclic lateral loading from varying directions. The results demonstrate increased deformation accumulation due to the changing loading direction, compared to the uni-directional case. Displacement accumulation is not limited to the main loading direction but includes transverse movement as well. Similar trends were observed in small-scale 1g modelling that allowed a larger number of load cycles to be applied. The centrifuge test results provide confidence of the applicability of the findings to the prototype. Current methods that neglect the effect of variation of the loading direction will provide predictions of displacement accumulation of piles that are un-conservative. Therefore, a simple approach is proposed here to estimate the augmentation of displacement accumulation due to variation in loading direction compared to the uni-directional case.