Experimental Pullout Capacity of Screw Piles in Dry Gypseous Soil

Abstract

Screw piles are widely used in supporting structures subjected to pullout forces, such as power towers and offshore structures, and this research investigates their performance in gypseous soil of medium relative density. The bearing capacity and displacement of a single screw pile model inserted in gypseous soil with various diameters (D = 20, 30, and 40) mm are examined in this study. The soil used in the testing had a gypsum content of 40% and the bedding soil had a relative density of 40%. To simulate the pullout testing in the lab, a physical model was manufactured with specific dimensions. Three steel screw piles with helix diameters of 20, 30, and 40 mm are used, with a total length of 500 mm. The helix is continuous over the pile's embedded depth of 400 mm. The results of tests revealed that decreasing the length to diameter (H/D) ratio resulted in a higher pullout capacity of screw piles and a lower corresponding displacement.

Keywords

• screw piles
• helix
• gypseous soil
• pullout
• displacement