Date of Award

1985-5

Degree Name

Master of Science in Civil Engineering

Department

Department of Civil Engineering

College

College of Engineering

Advisor(s)

Dr. Braja M. Das

Abstract

This thesis investigates the uplift capacity of rigid vertical piles embedded in saturated or near-saturated clayey soils subjected to inclined uplifting loads. Pile foundations are widely used in civil engineering applications requiring resistance to both axial and lateral forces, including transmission tower foundations, foundations on expansive soils, and mat foundations in areas subject to rising groundwater tables. While considerable research had addressed compressive load bearing capacity and lateral resistance of piles, experimental data on pile behavior under inclined uplift loading remained scarce at the time of this study. The present study was undertaken to conduct a systematic series of laboratory model tests on short rigid piles subjected to inclined loading, with load inclination angle alpha varying from zero degrees to ninety degrees, and to compare experimental results with the semi-empirical theoretical framework proposed by Meyerhof (1973). Twenty-one model tests were performed using wooden piles of 25.4 mm diameter embedded in compacted near-saturated clay obtained from the Texas A&M Agricultural Research Center in El Paso, Texas. Three embedment ratios were examined, specifically L/D values of 10, 12, and 14. The study found that experimental results showed good agreement with the theoretical frameworks of Meyerhof (1973), Broms (1964), and Das and Seeley (1982).

Language

en

File Size

57 p.

File Format

pdf

Rights Holder

Godwin Ikechukwu Ubanyionwu

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