On the modelling of piles in sand in the small geotechnical centrifuge

The use of a geotechnical centrifuge for properly capturing the mechanisms in the sand adjacent to a foundation pile is well established. Larger centrifuge facilities were previously preferred over small centrifuges, because of the difficulties of the required miniature instrumentation. The technology since then has moved on and recent technical developments, such as MEMS sensors, facilitate the use of small models including all the necessary instrumentation. However, correct scaling and modelling of piles installed in sand in the geotechnical centrifuge remains essential. Especially, stress waves in the sample, created during pile driving, are impractical to scale. The latter, however, is not only limited to small centrifuge facilities. Therefore, the modelling should not include stress waves. A feasible approach for that is to limit pile installation effects in coarse material, which ensures drained conditions, to the application of cyclic load reversals.