Interfacial studies on different pile materials and their roughness characterisation using 3D optical profilometer

Abstract

Piles are slender members made of concrete, steel, aluminium or timber installed in the ground to transfer the loads to soils at some significant depth below the base of the structure. The material property of the pile influences load-deformation response, bearing capacity, surface roughness and interfacial shear behaviour. The current study aims at assessing interfacial friction through a series of laboratory studies using three different pile materials, viz. concrete, wood and aluminium with sand as infill material. The surface roughness of three pile materials is analysed using a three-dimensional optical profilometer. Among the three pile materials considered for the study, the abrasive action of infill on concrete is more evident due to granular particles’ intrusion on the cracked concrete surface. Wood and aluminium specimens developed enhanced tangential and adhesive action after shearing action. The three-dimensional profilometer studies could capture the abrasive action and subsequent wear and tear of the pile material.