Model Test Study on the Effect of Horizontal Load on the Vertical Bearing Capacity of Disk Pile

Abstract

A group of model tests were designed to study the effect of horizontal load on the vertical bearing capacity of disk pile. Three double-disk piles were used in the test, and the distance of the two disks is 5 times as the disk diameter. Drew a horizontal load H=100N/200N/300N on the top of pile1/2/3 respectively, and put on the vertical load stage by stage, then studied the differences of three piles’ bearing properties such as changes of the pile bending moment, the horizontal and vertical deformation on the top, and soil pressure around the pile. Experiment showed that when the horizontal load is quite small, the existence of horizontal load has little to do with vertical bearing capacity. When the load reached a certain level, the p-∆ effect under the vertical load will significantly affect the vertical bearing capacity of the pile. Especially during the initial time while there is a large horizontal displacement or rotation generated by the horizontal load, the pile’s bearing capacity is controlled by the horizontal displacement.