Response of Static and Cyclic Laterally Loaded Rigid Piles in Sand

Abstract

An experimental investigation was made into the response of piles in sand subjected to lateral cyclic loading. Seven instrumented model piles tests were conducted. Five tests were conducted under typical magnitude and number of cyclic loading, and two were under static loading. The results were used to deduce modulus of subgrade reaction k and the profile of limiting lateral resistance force per unit length (LFP, pu profile) in light of closed-form solutions. The study demonstrates a large impact of lateral (cyclic) load level than the number of cycles, a 1.5–2.8 times increase in the modulus k, and a 10% reduction in the pu due to cyclic loading. The tests confirm the linear correlation between maximum bending moment and the applied lateral load, regardless of the number of cycles.