Investigating performance of micropiled raft in foundation of power transmission line towers in cohesive soil: experimental and numerical study

Abstract

This paper captures the behavior of micropiled rafts in power transmission line tower foundations in cohesive soil, concentrating on their uplift performance whether due to the tower position along the line or under wind loading conditions. In this regard, first a number of micropiles were driven into the ground of a project site at the ParehSar power plant, Gilan, Iran. Compression and uplift loading tests were conducted according to relevant standards. On the basis of the field data, a three-dimensional finite element model was developed and subsequently calibrated and verified. The behavior of micropiled rafts subjected to uplift, which is a typical type of loading in foundations of 230 kV four-circuit lattice towers, was then studied by means of this model in terms of a wide-ranging parametric study. In the sensitivity analyses, the impacts of various parameters, such as micropile spacing-to-diameter (s/d) and length-to-diameter (l/d) ratios along with undrained shear strength of the soil, on the uplift capacity of an individual micropile within and out of the group were investigated. Furthermore, interaction factors were computed based on diverse values for undrained shear strength of the soil, s/d ratio, l/d ratio, and grout–soil adhesion. From design and analysis perspectives, the finite element method (FEM) outputs revealed that the efficiency coefficient of micropiled rafts during uplift can be considered equal to one. Moreover, it was found that not only does the behavior of micropiles affect the neighboring micropiles immediately adjacent to the loaded one, but it also influences those in further rows, the result of which would be considering their significance as well.