ABSTRACT
Until now the vibratory pile driving method is not widely used because there is no reliable approach for drivability analysis. One of the main issues with the current drivability analysis methods are the inability to accurately predict the cyclic soil behavior during vibratory pile driving. In this research, the cyclic soil behavior was evaluated using a new in-situ soil investigation method, the vibratory cone penetration test (VCPT). VCPT penetrates the ground, while inducing controlled vertical cyclic strains, and measuring cone resistance, sleeve friction, and pore water pressure. Nine static CPTs and 15 VCPTs were performed at a constant frequency with three different amplitudes. The resulted cone resistance-displacement cycles were compared with the state-of-the-art soil-pile interaction models. The reduction in soil strength against vibratory loading was found to be amplitude-dependent; and it was observed that a cavity formed between the cone and soil during the upward movement of the cone for high displacement amplitudes.
