Experimental observation on a laterally loaded pile in unsaturated silty soil

An experimental study has been carried out to investigate the effects of soil partial saturation on the behaviour of laterally loaded piles. The proposed study has been conducted by means of centrifuge tests at 100×g, where a single vertical pile has been subjected to a combination of static horizontal load and bending moment. The study has been conducted on a silty soil characterized with laboratory testing under saturated and unsaturated conditions. During flight, two different positions of water table have been explored. The influence of density has been investigated compacting the sample with two different void ratio. Finally, the effects of a variation of saturation degree on the pile response under loading have been studied rising the water table to ground surface. Data interpretation allows drawing different considerations on the effects of partial saturation on the behaviour of laterally loaded piles. As expected, compared to saturated soils, partial saturation leads always to a stiffer and resistant response of the system. However, the depth of the maximum bending moment is related to the position of water table and the bounding effects induced by partial saturation appears to be more important for loose soils.