Induced bending moments in batter piles in settling soils

In this paper the concept of load transfer onto a batter pile in settling cohesive soil has been brought out. A theoretical method is developed to estimate the axial and transverse forces on a batter pile embedded in settling cohesive soil and this method is verified with the results obtained from model tests. Testing is carried out on a model pile group with four piles, at a batter angle of 10° with the vertical. The tests were carried out in homogeneous clay layer of thickness 570 mm, the piles used were made of aluminium pipes 38.1 mm in diameter and 1.5 mm in thickness. Due to the settlement of the surrounding soil, there can be soil separation below the pile surface, and in such cases the analysis of the pile as beam on elastic foundation is not appropriate and the pile can be treated as a beam with appropriate end conditions. The bending moments measured through instrumented pile are compared with theoretical expressions developed and they are in good agreement in the case of fixed beam end conditions assumed.