Experimental and Numerical Studies on the Axial Bearing Behaviour of a Pile Due to Relevant Foundation Fill Material on the Coastal Tidal Flat

Abstract

The control centers of wind power plants are usually located in coastal tidal flat areas. To ensure the design elevation of the control centres is maintained above the water table, a thick fill will be placed on the original ground level. However, the filling would cause a long-term ground settlement and further lead to the development of the NSF (short for negative skin friction) of the pile foundations for the control centers. In this study, a series of full-scale axial compressive tests were conducted to investigate the effect of fills on the pile bearing behaviour. The numerical analysis method is also established to study the influence of additional ground pressures on the pile axial bearing behavior over time and the influence of NSF caused by consolidation on pile bearing capacity. The rationality is verified by comparisons with the full-scale tests. Finally, a simple procedure is further employed to study the evolution of the long-term pile bearing behavior.