Centrifuge Modelling of Driven Piles in Dense Sand

Reliable data on the axial bearing capacity of piles in dense sand is required in order to understand the complex bearing failure mechanisms which occur during pile installation and subsequent loading. The high cost of field testing necessitates that such experimental research is undertaken at model scale, at least initially, allowing fundamental load-displacement behaviour to be investigated. This paper outlines the apparatus and testing regime adopted in the axial loading of driven piles, performed in the geotechnical centrifuge at the University of Western Australia. Typical test results are also presented, which demonstrate the usefulness of the centrifuge as a modelling device for field-scale pile tests.