Static characteristics study of pile-soil interaction under vertical electroosmosis

Area of Science:

• Geotechnical Engineering
• Soil Mechanics
• Electrokinetic Soil Processing

Background:

• Mucky soft soils present significant challenges for infrastructure development due to low bearing capacity and shear strength.
• Improving soil properties around piles is crucial for enhancing foundation stability and performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effectiveness of vertical electroosmosis in improving pile bearing capacity and surrounding soil shear strength.
• To compare the performance of forward and reverse electroosmosis techniques.
• To analyze the pile-soil interaction under vertical electroosmosis conditions.

Main Methods:

• Conducting vertical electroosmosis model tests on mucky soft soil with piles.
• Performing shear strength tests on soil samples before and after electroosmosis.
• Monitoring parameters such as water content, settlement, current, and soil pressure.
• Carrying out static load tests on piles post-electroosmosis and comparing with control groups.

Main Results:

• Ultimate pile bearing capacity increased by 3.7 times for side piles and 4.5 times for central piles after electroosmosis.
• Central piles exhibited higher ultimate bearing capacity than side piles (7.7%-9.2% increase).
• Forward electroosmosis demonstrated superior performance, increasing bearing capacity by 18.5% (side pile) and 16.8% (central pile) compared to reverse electroosmosis.

Conclusions:

• Vertical electroosmosis is an effective method for enhancing pile bearing capacity and soil shear strength in mucky soft soils.
• Forward electroosmosis is more effective than reverse electroosmosis for this application.
• The findings provide valuable insights for improving foundation design in challenging soil conditions.