The Influence of Backfill on the Driving Energy Intensity and Axial Load Resistance of Piles with Shaft Widenings: Modeling Research

Abstract

This article is dedicated to addressing the current challenge of augmenting the load-bearingcapability of pile foundations. This predicament is most effectively addressed by employing piles with unconventional geometries along with atypical methodologies for installing these foundation piles. The primary objective of the research wasto examine the impact of various fill materials (including both soil and rigid substances) on the energy consumption during pile driving and the resistance to static loads by piles with multiple shaft expansions. The findings derived from model-based investigations demonstrate that the load-bearing capacity of piles with shaft expansions installed with bulk material filling surpassed that of conventional piles (prismatic and pyramidal) by a factor ranging from 1.5 to 4.6. Furthermore, the research outcomes also indicated greater energy consumption (1.14–1.66 times) and enhanced load-bearing capacity (1.15–1.68 times) for piles with shaft expansions driven with backfill in comparison to piles installed without backfill. It is noteworthy that the type of backfill material significantly influenced the energy consumption during pile driving and their stability under axial static loads. The correlation relationships can be applied to approximate projection of the energy-related and structural parameters of piles with shaft expansions embedded with the addition of bulk materials.