ABSTRACT
In recent years, efficient installation methods of piles have been developed. A target in this research is to show a possibility to use steel sheet piles for permanent pile foundations, because time and cost of construction for sheet piles could be lower than those for pipe piles. In this study, a series of experiments were conducted to investigate the load transfer behaviours of model foundations supported by three different types of piles in dry sand ground subjected to vertical and horizontal loading. According to experiment results, PPF (Plate Pile Foundation) can carry almost the same loads with OPF (Open-ended pipe pile foundation) and larger loads than those of BPF (Box pile foundation) under both vertical and horizontal conditions. Hence, sheet pile foundation would be a promising alternative to conventional round pipe pile foundation, especially in high-seismic areas where foundations will experience both vertical and horizontal loading.
