Field behavior of pre-bored grouted planted nodular pile embedded in deep clayey soil

Abstract

This paper presents the results of field tests performed to investigate the behavior of pre-bored grouted planted nodular (PGPN) pile embedded in deep clayey soil. The test piles were all instrumented to measure the shaft and tip resistance and to determine the load transfer along the pile shaft. The test results show that the displacement necessary to fully mobilize the shaft resistance of PGPN pile is in the range of 1.83–3.32% D (D is pile diameter), and that the ultimate skin frictions of grout–soil interface of different soil layers are larger than the conventional proposed ultimate skin frictions for non-displacement piles. Furthermore, the pile tip resistance accounts for about 16% of the total applied pile head load corresponding to a pile head displacement of 0.1 D, and the pile tip resistance continues to increase after tip displacement reaches 5% of pile tip diameter.