Evaluation of dynamic bending moment of disconnected piled raft via centrifuge tests

Abstract

When connected piles are used as settlement reducers, the proportion of vertical load carried by the pile may come close to the allowable load of the pile. To reduce not only the vertical load, but also the lateral load and bending moment to which the pile is subjected, the disconnected piled raft (DPR) has been introduced as an effective design for the role of the settlement reducers. Although several DPRs have been constructed, most of the research efforts on DPRs are limited to the structural behavior such as the evaluation of the seismic acceleration of the structure on the DPR; thus, there is a need to evaluate the dynamic performance of DPRs focusing on geotechnical problems. In this study, the seismic behavior of DPRs is investigated using dynamic centrifuge tests and compared with the results obtained from connected piled rafts (CPRs). The bending moment of piles of different materials, namely aluminum and steel, is evaluated. Results show that there is a reduction in the amplitude of acceleration of the foundation horizontal motion for the DPR compared to the CPR. The edge pile of a DPR attracts the smaller dynamic bending moment of the pile compared to that of a CPR. The dynamic bending moment of piles is predominantly governed by the soil behavior rather than the pile material. Finally, the seismic behavior of DPR was evaluated comprehensively through centrifuge tests.