Full-scale experimental study and modelling of pile-beam joint for prefabrication restoration technology of ocean engineering

Abstract

Ocean engineering structures are susceptible to severe damage caused by adverse weather conditions. The question of accelerating post-disaster restoration is the focus for ocean engineering resilience. In this regard, this study proposed the prefabrication restoration technology and investigated the mechanical properties of the key pile-beam joint. Full-scale experiments are conducted to analyze the pile-beam joint, followed by the development of the Pile-beam Joint Assessment Model (PJAM) for mechanical assessment. PJAM is subsequently applied to evaluate a restoration case at Shantou Port, facilitating informed decision-making. The main findings are as follows: (1) The flexural performance of the pile-beam joint is crucial in prefabrication restoration as it influences the assembly performance and impact resilience of the new-old structure. (2) Stiffness reduction in the pile-beam joint is primarily attributed to interface weakness, resulting in stiffness and bearing capacity values of 64.3 % and 95.5 %, respectively, compared to the cast-in-situ joint. (3) Elastic and plastic properties of the pile-beam joint are governed by the compression interface and rebar properties, respectively. The compression interface size significantly enhances joint performance, while rebar properties affect ultimate bearing capacity and ductility. (4) PJAM enables a parametric quantitative assessment of pile-beam joints. In the case study, a 31 % size enlargement scheme combined with a 51 % rebar arrangement is identified as achieving performance comparable to the cast-in-situ joint. This research addresses the critical joint challenge in prefabrication restoration, providing a theoretical basis and practical demonstration to enhance post-disaster resilience in ocean engineering structures.