ABSTRACT
This paper discusses the influence of rock socket depths on the deformation and failure mechanism of rock socketed piles under a constant vertical eccentricity of 6.5 m. For the centrifuge model study, two types of model soft rock ground were prepared, a single soft rock layer and a soft rock layer with overlying sand. Lateral resistance of piles with three different rock socket depths were investigated in both model grounds at 50g centrifugal acceleration. From the loading tests, two different failure modes were observed, i.e., ground failure and pile structural failure depending on the embedment depth and the ground conditions. For the piles with relatively small socket depth (dR ) in a single rock layer, the increase of dR can increase the lateral and moment resistance. However, as the dR increases, the effect of dR becomes less significant, especially for ultimate resistance due to the pile structural failure.
