Analysis of uplift loads of precast-concrete piles in porous soils

Abstract

This paper presents the analysis of uplift load tests in three precast-concrete piles carried out in a collapsible sandy soil. The piles with 12 meters (m) length and 0.17 x 0.17 square meter (m2) cross section were instrumented with strain gauges, in order to know the load transfer in depth. Three tests performed in a slow maintained load way were conducted in a natural condition of moisture content soil. A fourth test was carried out after the previous soaking of the soil around the pile head. The tests were performed in the experimentalresearch site at the Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” (Unesp). The results obtained were evaluated by analytical and empirical methods.