PI | |
Co-PIs | |
Project Type | Experimental |
Natural Hazard Type(s) | Earthquake |
Facilities | |
Awards | California Department of Transportation under Agreement | 65A0688 |
Keywords | Drag Load, Downdrag, Piles, Centrifuge Testing |
Downdrag loads on pile foundations can be an important design consideration when earthquake-induced liquefaction is expected to cause ground settlements. Despite significant research progress on the effects of liquefaction on structures, and the seismic response of piles, there is still a knowledge gap in the assessment of liquefaction-induced downdrag loads on piles. The interrelationships between mechanisms affecting negative skin friction are not accounted for in current practice. Hence, our inability to confidently account for liquefaction-induced downdrag may lead to over-conservative or unsafely designed piles. This project aims to develop centrifuge-based design guidelines for the assessment of liquefaction-induced downdrag loads on piles. Specifically, this dataset includes data from two large-scale centrifuge model tests (SKS02 and SKS03) designed to systematically illuminate the mechanisms affecting negative skin friction for a variety of situations wherein liquefaction takes place around piles. Results from these tests can be used to validate numerical models in predicting the response of piles in liquefiable soils and further the development of the constitutive and interface models. Additionally, data from these tests can be used to study the lateral confinement condition at the interface for jacked piles during shaking, when soil is fully liquefied, as well as post shaking.