A series of large-scale shaking table tests were conducted to investigate the dynamic response and damage characteristics of the variable- single pile foundation in liquefiable soil-rock interaction strata under seismic loading. The test results show that the seismic responses of the excess pore pressure ratio under seismic excitations are divided into four stages, among which the difference in the sustained liquefaction stage is the most significant. Pile acceleration amplification is governed by dual coupling effects of soil-pile interaction and structural stiffness. The pile body bending moment distribution features dual-peak characteristics, the largest peak arises at the soil layers interface, while the other peak occurs at the variable-section. Increased seismic excitation accelerates the liquefaction of the saturated sand layer, yet simultaneously slows down the dissipation of the excess pore pressure. As the seismic excitation increases, the acceleration response and displacement response of the pile top are most significant, though maximum bending moment positions remain stable. The stress overrun damage occurs gradually in the variable- zone under strong earthquakes. Based on the analysis results and the Fourier spectrum modal characteristics of the pile top, the damage mechanism of the pile body is revealed and verified. This study will provide an essential reference for further understanding the seismic response and damage of the variable- single pile foundation in liquefiable soil-rock interaction strata.

This study conducted load-bearing capacity tests to quantitatively analyze the impact of permafrost degradation on the vertical load-bearing capacity of railway bridge pile foundations. Meanwhile, a prediction model vertical load-bearing capacity for pile foundations considering permafrost degradation was developed and validated through these tests. The findings indicate that the permafrost degradation significantly influences both the failure patterns of the pile foundation and the surrounding soil. With the aggravation of permafrost degradation, damage to the pile foundation and the surrounding soil becomes more pronounced. Furthermore, permafrost degradation aggravates, both the vertical ultimate bearing capacity and maximum side friction resistance of pile foundations exhibit a significant downward trend. Under unfrozen soil conditions, the vertical ultimate bearing capacity of pile foundations is reduced to 20.1 % compared to when the permafrost thickness 160 cm, while the maximum side friction resistance drops to 13.2 %. However, permafrost degradation has minimal impact on the maximum end bearing capacity of pile foundations. Nevertheless, as permafrost degradation aggravates, the proportion of the maximum end bearing capacity attributed to pile foundations increases. Moreover, the rebound rate of pile foundations decreases with decreasing permafrost thickness. Finally, the results confirm that the proposed prediction model can demonstrates a satisfactory level of accuracy in forecasting the impact of permafrost degradation on the vertical load-bearing capacity of pile foundations.

Calculation and prediction of the uplift capacity of squeezed branch piles (SBP) are still immature. This study develops a method to predict the load-displacement relationship and ultimate capacity of SBP under pullup load by using a hyperbolic model to describe the nonlinear load transfer between pile-soil and plate-soil. The uplift bearing behaviors of SBP are analyzed through six sets of indoor model tests in homogeneous soils. The results, along with field tests of single-plate piles in layered soils and the indoor tests, confirm the high accuracy of the theoretical prediction method. The effects of three factors, including the pile side soil damage ratio (Rf), the horizontal earth pressure coefficient (k) and the damage angles of the soil under plate (psi), on the prediction results are analyzed. The results show that these factors significantly affect the second half of the loaddisplacement curve of SBP. Furthermore, as the Rf rises, the anticipated ultimate uplift capacity of SBP decreases linearly; as the k rises, it increases linearly; and as the psi rises, it increases nonlinearly.

This study presents experimental results from scale model tests on laterally loaded bridge pile foundations in soils subjected to seasonal freezing. A refined finite-element model (FEM) was established and calibrated based on data obtained from the experiments. Furthermore, the model was utilized to investigate the impact of soil scouring depth on the lateral behavior of bridge pile foundations embedded in seasonally frozen soils. The findings indicate that soil freezing significantly enhances the lateral bearing capacity of the pile-soil interaction (PSI) system while reducing lateral deflection of the pile foundation. However, soil freezing results in increased damage to the pile foundation and upward movement of the plastic zone toward the ground surface. Under unfrozen conditions, significant plastic deformations occur on the ground surface and even inside the piles due to the extrusion effect. Additionally, increasing soil scouring depth significantly reduces the lateral bearing capacity of the PSI system while also increasing lateral deflection of the pile foundation for a given load level. Notably, when the scouring depth exceeds 2 m in unfrozen soils, the entire pile experiences obvious deformation and inclination, exhibiting a short-pile behavior that negatively affects the lateral stability of the pile under lateral loads.

Composite reinforcement concrete square piles exhibit excellent bending resistance and deformation capacity, along with construction advantages such as ease of transportation. In recent years, they have been widely adopted in building pile foundation applications. However, their seismic behavior, particularly under multi-directional excitation, remains inadequately explored. This study employs large-scale shaking table tests to evaluate the seismic response of a single composite reinforcement square pile embedded in a soft clay foundation under different horizontal excitations (0 degrees and 45 degrees) and two distinct ground motions (Wenchuan Songpan and Chi-Chi) to assess directional anisotropy and resonance effects, with explicit consideration of soil-structure interaction (SSI). The key findings include the following: the dynamic earth pressure along the pile exhibits a distribution pattern of large at the top, small at the middle and bottom. And SSI reduced pile-soil compression by 20-30% under 45 degrees excitation compared to 0 degrees. The dynamic strain in outer longitudinal reinforcement in pile corners increased by 30-60% under 45 degrees excitation compared to 0 degrees. Under seismic excitation considering SSI, the bending moment along the pile exhibited an upper-middle maximum pattern, peaking at depths of 3-5 times the pile diameter. Axial forces peaked at the pile head and decreased with depth. While bending moment responses were consistent between 0 degrees and 45 degrees excitations, axial forces under 45 degrees loading were marginally greater than those under 0 degrees. The Chi-Chi motion induced a bending moment about four times greater than the Songpan motion, highlighting the resonance risks when the ground motion frequencies align with the pile-soil system's fundamental frequency.

This study investigates efficient dehydration and solidification techniques for waste mud generated from loess pile foundations during highway construction in Lanzhou, Northwest China. The waste mud, characterized by high viscosity (85% moisture content) and alkalinity (pH 11.2), poses environmental risks if untreated. Dehydration experiments identified an optimal composite flocculant mixture of 3.5 g polyaluminum chloride (PAC) and 22 mL anionic polyacrylamide (APAM) per 500 mL waste mud, accelerating sedimentation and reducing the supernatant pH to 8.65, compliant with discharge standards. Solidification tests employed a composite curing agent (CG-T1+cement), demonstrating enhanced mechanical properties. The California Bearing Ratio (CBR) of the solidified sediment reached 286%, and the unconfined compressive strength (UCS, 7-day) exceeded 2.0 MPa, meeting roadbed specifications. The combined use of PAC-APAM for dehydration and CG-T1-cement for solidification offers an eco-friendly and economically viable solution for reusing treated waste mud in construction applications, addressing regional challenges in mud disposal and resource recovery.

To study the dynamic response rules of pile foundations of mega-bridges over faults in strong seismic areas, a finite element model of the pile foundation-soil-fault interaction of the Haiwen Bridge is established. The 0.2-0.6 g peak acceleration of the 5010 seismic waves is input to study the effect of the seismic wave of different intensities and the distance changes between the fault and the pile foundation on the dynamic response of the pile body. The results show that the soil layer covering the bedrock amplifies the peak pile acceleration, and the amplifying effect decreases with increasing seismic wave intensity. However, bedrock has less of an effect on peak acceleration. The relative pile displacement shows the mechanical properties of elastic long piles. The pile foundation generates a large bending moment at the bedrock face and the upper soil layer interface, and a large shear force at the pile top and the soft-hard soil body interface. The relative displacement, bending, and shear bearing characteristics of the pile foundations on the upper and lower plates of the fault are significantly different. The deformation characteristics are affected by faults in a region ten times the pile diameter. Analysis of the dynamic p-y curves shows that the soil resistance on the pile side of the lower plate at the same depth is greater than that of the upper plate. Sensitivity of the dynamic response of pile foundations on either side of the fault to the effects of seismic intensity and distance between the pile foundation and the fault: distance l > seismic intensity q.

Wall piers are widely used to enhance lateral stability in bridges with tall piers and relatively narrow decks. For this type of structure, the longitudinal direction of the bridge is commonly acknowledged as the governing direction for seismic performance, with wall piers serving as the seismic critical members. However, progressive scouring reduces foundation strength and stiffness, leading to increased transverse seismic deformation. This deformation amplifies the risk of pile damage and may shift the seismic critical member to the foundation. This study investigates the seismic performance of wall pier bents in bridges, explicitly focusing on the effects of riverbed scouring. Through a Taiwan-based case study, seismic performance is evaluated at various scour depths, identifying the seismic critical member through capacity spectrum analysis and the peak ground acceleration corresponding to the performance limit of the wall pier bent. The findings highlight that seismic performance is frequently controlled by the transverse direction, emphasizing the foundation as the seismic critical member. The effect of employing foundation strengthening as a retrofit strategy is also assessed, revealing that it provides only limited improvement in seismic performance. Even after retrofit, the seismic performance of wall pier bents remains primarily governed by the pile foundation.

The span of pile foundations beneath metro depots typically ranges from 10 to 20 m, exhibiting a notably large span. This structural characteristic results in the pile foundations bearing a more concentrated upper load, while the interstitial soil between the piles bears minimal force. Concurrently, global climate change and enhanced urban greening initiatives have led to a significant increase in rainfall in northwest China, a region traditionally characterized by arid and semi-arid conditions. This climatic shift has precipitated a continuous rise in groundwater levels. Furthermore, the extensive distribution of collapsible loess in this region exacerbates the situation, as the rising groundwater levels induce loess collapse, thereby adversely affecting the mechanical behavior of the pile foundations. In light of these factors, this study utilized the pile foundations of a metro depot in Xi'an as a prototype to conduct static load model tests under conditions of rising groundwater levels. The experimental results reveal that the load-settlement curve of the pile foundations in the absence of groundwater exhibited a steep decline with distinct three-stage characteristics, and the ultimate bearing capacity was determined to be 5 kN. When the groundwater level is situated below the loess stratum, the settlement of both the pile foundations and the foundation soil, as well as the axial force, skin friction, and pile tip force, remains relatively stable. However, when the groundwater level rises to the loess stratum, there is a significant increase in the settlement of the pile foundations and foundation soil. Negative skin friction emerges along the pile shaft, and the bearing type of the pile foundation transitions gradually from a friction pile to an end-bearing pile. The influence range of the pile foundation on the settlement of the foundation soil is approximately three times the pile diameter.

Integral abutment bridges (IABs) provide a viable solution to address durability concerns associated with bearings and expansion joints. Yet, they present challenges in optimizing pile foundation design, particularly concerning horizontal stiffness. While previous studies have focused on the behaviour of various piles supporting IABs in non-liquefied soils under cyclic loading, research on their seismic performance in liquefied soils remains limited. This study addresses the gap by systematically comparing the performance of various pile foundations in liquefied soil, focusing on buckling mechanisms and hinge formation. Using the Pyliq1 material model and zero-length elements in OpenSees, soil liquefaction around the piles was simulated, with numerical results validated against experimental centrifuge tests. The findings indicate that IABs supported by reinforced concrete piles with a 0.8 m diameter (RCC8) experience greater displacement at the abutment top, while alternative piles, such as 0.5 m (RCC5), HP piles with weak and strong axis (HPS and HPW), steel pipes (HSST) and concrete-filled steel tubes (CFST), show pronounced rotational displacement at the abutment bottom. Maximum stress, strain and bending moments occurred at the pile tops and at the interface between liquefied and non-liquefied soil. Notably, CFST piles resisted buckling under seismic excitation, suggesting their superiority for supporting IABs in liquefied soil.