Mechanisms of response and implications for the performance of pile groups in laterally spreading soils

Abstract

The aim of this research is to provide guidance for the design of pile groups in laterally spreading soil.

Section 2 covers the essential background information relevant to the study of pile foundation in laterally spreading soil and establishes the specific research objectives to be addressed.  Section 3 details the overall design of the research and the details of the experimental programme.  The first of the research objectives – the description of the influence of pile tip fixity on foundation performance – is the focus of Section 4.  Section 5 explores the influence of pile cap restraint on the foundation response and brings together the experimental findings and field observations from the 2010-2011 Christchurch earthquakes.  The final results section, Section 6, examines in more detail lateral pile interaction effects for different pile group response mechanisms.  Finally, the conclusions of the project are presented.  Note that the figures and tables are not included in the main text, but rather are provided at the end of the report, after the references.