Investigation of Single Pipe Pile Behavior Under Combined Vertical and Lateral Loadings in Standard and Coral Sands

This study examines the lateral deformation behavior of a model pipe pile under combined vertical and lateral loads in both standard and coral sands. A series of loading tests of instrumented pipe piles under different lateral and vertical loads were carried out. The effects of loading conditions, loading positions, resultant directions and embedded depths were analyzed. The results show that the maximum lateral deformation of the pipe pile decreased with the increasing of vertical loads; while, the maximum bending moments of the pile were increasing with the increase of vertical loads. The maximum lateral loads of pipe pile in coral sands were larger than that in the standard sands under the same loading condition. An exponent relationship between the maximum lateral deflections and the ratio of vertical load to lateral load was derived. The effect of vertical load on the lateral displacement of the pile was not significant when the ratio of vertical load to lateral load was greater than 3. The embedded depth of the pile and the resultant direction had significant influence on the lateral deformations. The maximum lateral deflection of the pile had exponent relationship with the resultant direction angles. The outcomes of the study could benefit the design and engineering practice of pipe piles used in the coral sand.