Ricerc@Sapienza

This paper presents the results of a numerical study aiming at simulating the response of an unsaturated fine-grained soil under wetting and gravitational loading processes. This study is based on the results of some centrifuge tests carried out to assess the influence of partial saturation on the laterally loaded pile response. The hydro-mechanical behaviour of the silty soil is described using a constitutive model adapted to unsaturated conditions.

In this paper, selected aspects of an experimental study conducted in a geotechnical centrifuge are discussed. The tests aimed to explore the effects of partial saturation of soil on the response of a single pile subjected to a combination of lateral force and bending moment under drained conditions. The soil used in the experiments is a low plasticity silty soil, named B-grade kaolin, characterized by a relatively high permeability compared to the typical values for clayey soils. Two different elevations of the water table and its effects on the pile response under loading are studied.

This note presents the preliminary outcomes of a numerical investigation on the influence of soil partial saturation on the behaviour of laterally loaded piles. The modified Cam clay model extended to unsaturated conditions and formulated in terms of Bishop’s effective stress has been used to analyse the results of centrifuge tests designed to address this topic. The model, calibrated on laboratory tests, well reproduces the main aspects of the soil-pile interaction.