Static Tension Tests on Axially Loaded Pile Segments in Sand

This paper provides laboratory test results of static axially loaded piles in sand. With a newly developed test setup, the pile-soil interface friction was investigated by using an open-ended steel pile segment with a diameter of 0.5 m. Use of a pile length of 1 m enabled the pile-soil interface friction to be analyzed at a given soil horizon while increasing the vertical effective stress in the sand. Test results obtained by this approach can be analyzed as single t-z curves and compared to predictions of unit shaft friction from current design methods for offshore foundations. The test results showed best agreement with the traditional design method given in the American Petroleum Institute (API) design code. When t-z curves obtained from the test results were compared to t-z curve formulations found in the literature, the Zhang formulation gave good predictions of the initial and post-peak parts of the t-z curves found in the test results.