Mechanical behavior of a floating model pile in unsaturated expansive soil associated with water infiltration: Laboratory investigations and numerical simulations

Abstract Pile foundations are widely designed extending principles of saturated soil mechanics assuming drained conditions (i.e. effective stress) even in expansive soil deposits despite the fact the soil around the pile is in a state of unsaturated condition. The mechanical behavior of in-situ pile foundations are significantly influenced by suction changes associated with water infiltration. In this paper, a single model pile mechanical behavior variations associated with suction changes in an unsaturated expansive soil under a service load were investigated. Experimental results suggest pile settlement increases due to water infiltration. Such a phenomenon can be attributed to pile shaft friction reduction in the active zone associated with suction reduction due to water infiltration and volume expansion of the soil. Experimental results were also simulated and interpreted using a computation program, PEI (i.e. Pile behavior in Expansive soil upon Infiltration), which was proposed based on principles of unsaturated soil mechanics. A theoretical model was proposed for the estimation of threshold pile head load which distinguishes whether the pile would experience upward or downward movement upon water infiltration. The theoretical model and the numerical modeling approach presented in this are valuable for practicing engineers in the rational design of piles taking account of the mechanical behavior of expansive soils.