Journal
OCEAN ENGINEERING
Volume 220, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2020.108375
Keywords
Plugging effect; Open-ended pile; DEM; Installation resistance; Load transfer
Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [51678547, 51878634, 41867034]
- Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by CAST [2018QNRC001]
- Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) [CUGGC09, 1910491T04]
- Innovative Research Team Program of Guangxi Natural Science Foundation [2016GXNSFGA380008]
- Systematic Projects of Guangxi Key Laboratory of Disaster Prevention and Structural Safety [2019ZDK047, 2019ZDK049]
- China Scholarship Council [201906410065]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
This study investigates the mechanisms governing sand plug behavior inside an open-ended pile using the discrete element method. It identifies factors influencing plug formation, introduces a novel sample generation method, and shows that jacked piles are more prone to plugging. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of penetration depth, pile diameter, and soil density on plug formation.
Mechanisms governing the sand plug behavior inside an open-ended pile are examined using the discrete element method. A series of numerical pile penetration tests have been conducted by considering the influence of soil density, pile geometry and installation method. A novel sample generation method, based on the replication of unit cell, is applied to produce a large and homogeneous sample efficiently. According to the soil deformation pattern, a nose cone, with the length about one pile diameter, has been observed beneath the small diameter jacked pile at the end of penetration. Plugging effect is shown to be more prevalent for jacked piles than dynamic installed piles. Also, larger penetration, smaller diameter and higher soil density all seem to promote plug formation, while the influence of wall thickness is not that obvious. This conclusion is later verified by the development of Incremental Filling Ratio (IFR) and porosity distribution. Furthermore, remarkable stress concentration has been observed at the lower part of the soil plug. The development of installation resistance indicates that jacking produces the largest resistance while dynamic installation methods ease pile penetration. Further analysis based on particle movements, contact force chain distribution and stress orientation provides a micromechanical perspective of the plug behavior. Finally, the plug resistance mobilization process at different plugging conditions and the formation process for soil plug are illustrated.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available