Interpretation of axial Statnamic load test using an automatic signal matching technique

The Statnamic (STN) load test is characterized by a relatively long duration and low pile velocity and acceleration compared with the dynamic load test. The estimation of the static capacity of piles and their static performance characteristics from dynamic loading tests usually requires a signal matching process. In this process, the soil parameters are varied until an acceptable match between the computed and measured responses is achieved. The soil properties obtained are then used to characterize the static behaviour of the pile. In this paper, an approach is presented to analyze the response of flexible and rigid piles during the STN load test. In this approach, a one-dimensional model is used to represent the pile-soil system accounting for nonlinear soil behaviour, slippage at the pile-soil interface, and energy dissipation through wave propagation and different types of damping. The postpeak resistance of certain types of soils is also considered in the analysis. An automatic matching technique (A...