Investigation Load Transfer on Piled Embankments over Soft Soil by Digital Image Correlation

Abstract

The rapid growth in infrastructure development has forced the engineers to design their structures on compressible soils. The structural load applied to the surface of a compressible ground introduces large total and differential settlement. These settlements have to be limited in order to maintain the stability and the durability of the concerned structures. Among various methods of soil improvement, the technique of employing the vertical rigid piles is widely implemented. It is an interesting alternative to more traditional techniques. This research focuses on the mechanistic behaviors of granular top soil supported by piles embedded in soft soil layer under the monotonic and cyclic loadings. An original three-dimensional laboratory model was developed. The model contains 20 rigid piles, and the compressible soil is explicitly simulated by a soft material. A Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique was used to analyze the force and displacement taking place in the load transfer platform. It was found that the settlement accumulation and an increase in the load transmitted to the piles were observed during the loading cycles. The image analysis provides the access to the displacement field within the granular platform.