Factors affecting axial and lateral load transfer of hollow fibre-reinforced polymer piles in soft clay

Abstract

ABSTRACT The growing interest in the long-term performance of pile foundations and their ability to resist the negative effects of water exposure and aggressive environmental conditions has led to considering non-corrosive materials such as fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP). The most common applications are light-bearing structures in waterfront environments, while applications for larger structures have not been widely accepted in industry due to the lack of long-term records and design guidelines available. In this study, a numerical model using the finite element method was developed to simulate small-scale load tests of hollow carbon-fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) and glass-fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) piles in soft clay. The findings of this research indicate that the number of FRP layers impacts loading behaviour significantly, while inner tube soil height has a reasonable influence on axial load response and fibre orientation has a minor effect under lateral load conditions.