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Uplift Behavior of Belled Piles Subjected to Static Loading

  • Research Article-Civil Engineering
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Abstract

The uplift behavior of foundation is of great importance for the construction of foundations of ports, transmission towers and other structures that require to resist uplift loading. This research presents the results of several uplift static loading tests of prototypical belled piles. The load–displacement curve of belled piles is divided into three stages: initial linear segment, middle curve segment, and ending linear segment. The characteristic uplift capacities for the three stages are given by a graphics method. A bi-linear equation is given for predicting characteristic loading capacities of piles based on the ratio of bell to shaft diameters (bb/bs) and the embedment depth (L). Using the calibrated micro-parameters by the load–displacement curves, PFC2D is used to investigate the development of microcracks and formation of soil slip surface in the uplift test. The predicted uplift capacities by simulation can match the experimental value and estimated value by the suggested linear equation. The numerical result shows that the microcracks propagate, connect, and coalesce rapidly once the load–displacement curve reaches the middle curve segment. The final soil slip surface from numerical simulation varies with the geometric dimension of belled piles. The effect of bell to shaft diameters ratio (bb/bs) and embedment depth (L) on the uplift capacity is examined using numerical uplift tests. The result shows that uplift capacity of belled piles can be improved by increasing bell to shaft diameters ratio (bb/bs) and embedment depth (L).

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Acknowledgements

The first author is supported by Anhui Natural Science Youth Fund (No. 1908085QE216), Open Fund of the Key Laboratory of Rock Mechanics in Hydraulic Structural Engineering, Ministry of Education, Wuhan University (No. RMHSE1604), Chinese Universities Scientific Fund (Nos. PA2019GDPK0089, JZ2016HGBZ1021) and Innovation and entrepreneurship funds for returnees of Hefei. The third author acknowledges the support from the research project: Study on some environmental factors of the transmission line (No. GCB17201400162). These supports are gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China

    Guang Liu & Zhenhua Zhang

  2. Institute of Transmission and Transformation Engineering, China Electric Power Research Institute, Beijing, 102401, China

    Qiang Cui

  3. Key Laboratory of Rock Mechanics in Hydraulic Structural Engineering, Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China

    Guang Liu & Jun Peng

  4. State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China

    Jun Peng

  5. Geomechanics Research Centre, MIRARCO, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, P3E 2C6, Canada

    Guang Liu & Ming Cai

  6. Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Safe Mining of Deep Metal Mines, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110004, China

    Ming Cai

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  1. Guang Liu
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  3. Qiang Cui
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Correspondence to Zhenhua Zhang.

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Liu, G., Zhang, Z., Cui, Q. et al. Uplift Behavior of Belled Piles Subjected to Static Loading. Arab J Sci Eng 46, 4369–4385 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-020-04779-x

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