ABSTRACT
The purpose of this research is to develop a technique of image processing analysis for simulating three dimensional (3-D) behavior of soil due to lateral pile loading using an industrial X-ray CT scanner. A series of lateral pile loading tests was conducted with a soil box and an automatic loading system. A large number of markers (plastic spheres) were setup as grids in the soil at three depths under the ground surface. After lateral loading was applied, CT scanning was conducted on the soil box. From all the CT images obtained containing images of cross sections of the markers, locations of all the markers after loading were determined. Thus, a simulation of 3-D movements of the markers in the soil was conducted. By connecting the centers of the markers at the stages before and after loading, the 3-D movements of the markers were obtained as vectors of the movement and therefore, the soil behavior due to lateral pile loading was observed in three dimensions. Finally, quantitative discussion was performed on 3-D behavior of soil due to lateral pile loading.
