Monotonic Lateral Loading of Piles in Calcareous Sand

This paper describes the results of a centrifuge modeling study of the response of piles embedded in calcareous sand under monotonic lateral loading. A number of features have been explored, including method of installation, rate of loading, and pile head restraint. The study has led to recommendations for load-transfer curves with the magnitude of lateral resistance linked to the soil strength through the cone resistance. Modification factors have been developed to allow for different methods of installation and for different rates of loading. The proposed load-transfer curves and resulting pile response are shown to provide an excellent match with the experimental data, and are compared with results derived using existing guidelines for terrigenous sands. Significant differences are demonstrated, confirming the need to treat calcareous sediments separately from other soil types with respect to lateral pile response.