ABSTRACT
Groups of vertical cast-in-place piles with a platform have been successfully introduced to deep-water large-tonnage sheet-pile wharfs to withhold the lateral load due to horizontal soil movement towards the front wall. The work mechanism of these vertical piles is similar to that of passive stabilizing piles. However, the degree of the pile-soil interaction is far below the limit state. In order to get a knowledge of the distribution of lateral pile-soil pressure and distinguish the pile’s passive part from active part, large geotechnical centrifuge model tests of two design schemes were conducted to simulate the 200,000 tonnage sheet-pile wharfs with load-relief platform in homogeneous fine sand. Some useful results are gained and presented.
