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MPC Research Reports
Report Details

Title:Cyclic Lateral Loading of a Model Pile Group in Clay Soil, Phase 2A
Authors:Joseph A. Caliendo, Loren R. Anderson, and Mark A. Rawlings
University:Utah State University
Publication Date:Feb 1999
Report #:MPC-99-99A
Project #:MPC-097
TRID #:00765377
Keywords:calibration, clay soils, construction, design, foundation engineering, foundation soils, lateral supports, load limits, pile foundations

Abstract

Lateral loading on pile groups often controls the design of these foundation systems, but their behavior when subjected to lateral loading is extremely difficult to predict. To compensate for this, factors of safety are increased, thus increasing the overall cost of a project. The purpose of this research project was to design and build a model pile group according to similitude parameters and test it under cyclic lateral loading conditions to obtain data that will expand the knowledge on the behavior of pile groups when subjected to cyclic lateral loads. Detailed descriptions are given regarding design and construction of the instrumental model piles, other instrumentation, and the data acquisition system. Step-by-step procedures are given for calibration of all instrumentation as well as for the testing setup and procedure. Great detail is used in covering these topics in the event that some of this effort must be duplicated in the future. Results covering four types of test output are explained and discussed, as are comparisons of the test output with predictions made using computer software.

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