Wave Propagation in a Pipe Pile for Low-Strain Integrity Testing

Abstract

This paper presents an analytical solution methodology for a tubular structure subjected to a transient point loading in low-strain integrity testing. The three-dimensional effects on the pile head and the applicability of plane-section assumption are the main problems in low-strain integrity testing on a large-diameter tubular structure, such as a pipe pile. The propagation of stress waves in a tubular structure cannot be expressed by one-dimensional wave theory on the basis of plane-section assumption. This paper establishes the computational model of a large-diameter tubular structure with a variable wave impedance section, where the soil resistance is simulated by the Winkler model, and the exciting force is simulated with semisinusoidal impulse. The defects are classified into the change in the wall thickness and Young’s modulus. Combining the boundary and initial conditions, a frequency-domain analytical solution of a three-dimensional wave equation is deduced from the Fourier transform method and the separation of variables methods. On the basis of the frequency-domain analytic solution, the time-domain response is obtained from the inverse Fourier transform method. The three-dimensional finite-element models are used to verify the validity of analytical solutions for both an intact and a defective pipe pile. The analytical solutions obtained from frequency domain are compared with the finite-element method (FEM) results on both pipe piles in this paper, including the velocity time history, peak value, incident time arrival, and reflected wave crests. A case study is shown and the characteristics of velocity response time history on the top of an intact and a defective pile are investigated. The comparisons show that the analytical solution derived in this paper is reliable for application in the integrity testing on a tubular structure.