Frequency- and intensity-dependent impedance functions of laterally loaded single piles in cohesionless soil

Abstract

This paper investigates the frequency-dependent pile-head impedance characteristics of a model soil-pile foundation system under large amplitude loads, inducing soil yielding. Testing was conducted on a scaled single pile embedded in sand under a 1g condition. A laminar shear box mounted on a unidirectional shaking table was used to house the soil-pile foundation system. Quasi-static loads and dynamic loads were applied to obtain the force–displacement relationships and pile-head impedance functions, respectively, through the pile head connected to a loading actuator providing fixity to the pile head in all directions, except horizontal. In the quasi-static case, loads with three different velocities were applied to study the rate-dependent characteristics of the lateral bearing capacity of the pile. The Stereo-PIV system was employed to measure the surface soil displacement around the pile. The lateral bearing capacity changed with the loading velocity, but the soil near the pile showed a consistent failure pattern despite a significant change in velocity. Lateral pile-head dynamic impedance functions were obtained for low-to-high amplitude harmonic loading for a wide range of frequencies. The dynamic stiffness was seen to converge to that of the secant static stiffness with an increase in the amplitude of the dynamic loading for all the excitation frequencies.