ABSTRACT
Extensive in situ full-scale and laboratory model tests have been conducted on laterally loaded rigid piles (including piers and drilled shafts, see Figure 8.1). The results have been synthesized into various simple expressions (see Table 3.7, Chapter 3, this book) to estimate lateral bearing capacity. To assess nonlinear pile-soil interaction, centrifuge and numerical finite element (FE) modeling (Laman et al. 1999) have been conducted. These tests and modeling demonstrate a diverse range of values for the key parameter of limiting force per unit length along the pile (pu profile, also termed as LFP). The divergence has been attributed to different stress levels and is theoretically incomparable (Guo 2008). With the development of mono-pile (rigid) foundation for wind turbine, it is imperative to have a stringent nonlinear model for modeling the overall nonlinear response at any stage. The model should also allow unique back-estimation of the parameters using measured nonlinear response.
