BEARING CAPACITY DUE TO PLUGGED SOIL IN OPEN-ENDED PIPE PILE

Bearing capacity due to plugged soil in an open-ended pipe pile is analysed. A mechanism of indentation of soil into the open-ended pipe pile is simplified making it easy to employ the deformation characteristics of soil in the analysis. The modelled plugging mechanism and the equilibrium of the plugged soil lead to an equation for bearing capacity due to the plugged soil. The validity of thus obtained equation is verified through a series of laboratory pile loading tests using a steel pipe pile penetrating a diatomaceous mudstone ground.