Centrifuge modeling of the behaviour of helical piles in cohesive soils from installation and axial loading

Centrifuge modeling offers a viable tool for research in the soil-pile interaction, but this technique has not been used for helical piles in cohesive soils. A centrifuge model test program of helical piles in cohesive soils was carried out to investigate the axial soil-pile interaction and pile failure mechanism. Helical piles were installed while the centrifuge was spinning, which enabled the determination and interpretation of installation torque and pore pressure response of the soil. An analytical model for calculating the installation torque of helical piles screwed into cohesive soils was proposed and verified by test results. The pore pressure response to pile installation was monitored near two piles at two depths. Comparing the measured dissipation curves with the analytical curves for driven piles suggested that the excess pore pressure was primarily induced by the helical pile shaft. The model piles were axially loaded under 20 g condition. The present research may be considered as the first centrifuge test program that measured the axial load distribution along helical piles. The shaft internal loads were recorded using an innovative strain gauging method. The results show that the axial failure modes of helical piles depend on the strength of soil and inter-helix spacing. In general, it may be easier for a stiffer clay to form an inter-helix soil cylinder during axial pile movement.