Centrifuge Modeling on Performance of Plumb-Pile-Supported Wharf under Yard-Heaped Loads

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a centrifuge model test performed to study the behavior of a plumb-pile-supported wharf under yard-heaped loads. A bent composed of a slab, girders, and six rows of equally spaced plumb piles was chosen for the demonstration. The horizontal and vertical displacements of the bent, the earth pressures around the piles, and the bending moments of the piles were investigated. The failure mode and mechanics of the wharf under yard-heaped loads were analyzed. Test results indicate that the horizontal displacement of the bent was significantly larger than the vertical settlement, both of which rapidly increased after reaching a threshold load value. Maximum values of earth pressures occurred at distances of 2/3 of the pile length from the pile cap in the middle and rear (landside) sections of the bent. The piles on the side facing the sea were in tension in the upper part and generally in compression in the middle and lower parts. The excessive yard-heaped loads caused a large integral translation of the slope, and thus piles were pushed by the surrounding soil and deformed, primarily leading to the tilting failure of the plumb-pile-supported wharf.