Effect of slope with overburden layer on the bearing behavior of large-diameter rock-socketed piles

Pile foundation is a typical form of bridge foundation and viaduct, and large-diameter rock-socketed piles are typically adopted in bridges with long span or high piers. To investigate the effect of a mountain slope with a deep overburden layer on the bearing characteristics of large-diameter rock-socketed piles, four centrifuge model tests of single piles on different slopes (0o, 15o, 30o and 45o) were carried out to investigate the effect of slope on the bearing characteristics of piles. In addition, three pile group tests with different slope (0o, 30o and 45o) were also performed to explore the effect of slope on the bearing characteristics of the pile group. The results of the single pile tests indicate that the slope with a deep overburden layer not only accelerates the drag force of the pile with the increasing slope, but also causes the bending moment to move down owing to the increase in the unsymmetrical pressure around the pile. As the slope increases from 0o to 45o, the drag force of the pile is significantly enlarged and the axial force of the pile reduces to beyond 12%. The position of the maximum bending moment of the pile shifts downward, while the magnitude becomes larger. Meanwhile, the slope results in the reduction in the shaft resistance of the pile, and the maximum value at the front side of the pile is 3.98% less than at its rear side at a 45o slope. The load-sharing ratio of the tip resistance of the pile is increased from 5.49% to 12.02%. The results of the pile group tests show that the increase in the slope enhances the uneven distribution of the pile top reaction and yields a larger bending moment and different settlements on the pile cap, which might cause safety issues to bridge structures.