Summary
Tests were performed on model pipe piles driven in a pressurized tank filled with sand. The sand could be dry or saturated. The piles were driven using a hydraulically operated M.T.S. system. The instrumentation involved a load cell, a position transducer and an L.V.D.T to measure the plug height and pile penetration continuously. In order to determine the effect of wall thickness on pile plugging, tests were performed on piles with different wall thicknesses.
Results of this project contain a review of the current state-of-the-art in estimating the load capacity of open-ended pipe piles in sand, employing the method API RP-2A. Also included is a description of the properties of the model sand and the test equipment used
Related Publications: Olson, R.E., “Axial Load Capacity of Steel Pipe Piles in Sand,” Proceedings, Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, Texas, OTC Paper No. 6419, May, 1990.
