| Summary: |
This project provides an opportunity to reflect on the recent advances that have been made over the last two decades in the design of piles under axial loading, and to identify those aspects that should be improved using sound conceptual models and analyses. It will also provide the opportunity to analyse the data collected recently in 2 well-characterized experimental sites in Portugal (supervised by the leader of this project).
The scope of work for the proposed project has 2 main parts:
1) This project is justified by the needs to support a strong research team on geotechnics and numerical modelling providing the opportunity to developed an integrated study, which includes numerical modelling using either simplified 1-D or sophisticated 3-D models and also high quality experimental data to validate the analyses. This project will make use of the results obtained in two experimental sites: ISC'2-FEUP and the New Tagus River Cross experimental sites. In the ISC'2-FEUP experimental site an extensive in situ and laboratory geotechnical testing program was carried out; besides, fully instrumented static and dynamic load tests were performed in 3 different kinds of piles. In the New Tagus River Cross to optimize the foundation design several load tests were performed: i) 3
fully instrumented static load tests on experimental piles with 800mm of diameter; ii) several high strain dynamic load tests on experimental
piles with 800mm of diameter; iii) high strain dynamic load test on experimental pile with 1500mm of diameter; iv) several high strain dynamic load tests on 2200mm diameter foundation piles of the main bridge.
2) The experimental sites and the research work developed in ISTUTL (Instituto Superior Técnico da Universidade Técnica de Lisboa since 2000 (POCTI/ECM/36057/2000) has contributed largely to disseminate the use of dynamic load test (DLT). Nevertheless, the developed research work is still limited and the DLT have not been fully imp  |
Summary
This project provides an opportunity to reflect on the recent advances that have been made over the last two decades in the design of piles under axial loading, and to identify those aspects that should be improved using sound conceptual models and analyses. It will also provide the opportunity to analyse the data collected recently in 2 well-characterized experimental sites in Portugal (supervised by the leader of this project).
The scope of work for the proposed project has 2 main parts:
1) This project is justified by the needs to support a strong research team on geotechnics and numerical modelling providing the opportunity to developed an integrated study, which includes numerical modelling using either simplified 1-D or sophisticated 3-D models and also high quality experimental data to validate the analyses. This project will make use of the results obtained in two experimental sites: ISC'2-FEUP and the New Tagus River Cross experimental sites. In the ISC'2-FEUP experimental site an extensive in situ and laboratory geotechnical testing program was carried out; besides, fully instrumented static and dynamic load tests were performed in 3 different kinds of piles. In the New Tagus River Cross to optimize the foundation design several load tests were performed: i) 3
fully instrumented static load tests on experimental piles with 800mm of diameter; ii) several high strain dynamic load tests on experimental
piles with 800mm of diameter; iii) high strain dynamic load test on experimental pile with 1500mm of diameter; iv) several high strain dynamic load tests on 2200mm diameter foundation piles of the main bridge.
2) The experimental sites and the research work developed in ISTUTL (Instituto Superior Técnico da Universidade Técnica de Lisboa since 2000 (POCTI/ECM/36057/2000) has contributed largely to disseminate the use of dynamic load test (DLT). Nevertheless, the developed research work is still limited and the DLT have not been fully implemented in Portugal. The research on dynamic pile load test aims to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the wave equation methods and to propose dynamic analyses based on improved 1-D soil-pile interaction models calibrated with 3-D analyses and case studies. It will provide the elaboration of a database with comparative studies of accomplished dynamic load tests with static load tests performed on driven and cast in place piles, using available data in Portugal (a few recent cases) and in Brazil (20 years of experience). The proposed research project will provide the opportunity for the development of several theses. The analyses and comparison studies will provide much more confidence for the use of DLT in Portuguese practice on foundation design and construction.
Particular emphasis will be given to analyze the mobilization of the base resistance, focusing on long and large diameter bored piles, which are widely used in bridge foundations in Portugal.
This project will enhance the collaboration of our groups with other invited researchers outside Portugal (Bengt Fellenius from Canada, Arezou Modaressi from École Centrale de Paris and Sérgio Paraíso from Brazil). |