Mechanical Behaviors of Rigid Pile Composite Foundation in Yellow River Alluvial Plain Subjected to Soil Water Content Variations

ABSTRACT Rigid pile composite foundation (RPCF) has been widely used in Yellow River Alluvial Plain (YRAP) due to remarkable reinforcement and economical effects. However, current design of RPCF in this area are typically based on saturated soil mechanic principles assuming drained condition, despite the fact that the soil is typically in unsaturated condition. Due to long time water scouring, the silt in YRAP generally exhibits high particle sphericity and poor particle gradation. Even after standard compaction, it is still in a relatively loose state with developed capillary pores. Water content increment induced by infiltration can lead to considerable soil mechanical properties degradations due to matric suction reduction associated with soil micro‐structure rearrangement. Consequently, the RPCF will suffer serious bearing characteristic deteriorations, exhibiting additional settlement. In this study, extending unsaturated soil mechanics, initially the influences of matric suction on mechanical properties of YRAP silt were demonstrated. Then total RPCF settlement was calculated as the sum of the compression deformation of the soil between piles in the reinforcement zone and the underlying soil stratum. The former one was estimated through the modified load transfer curve method considering the pile‐soil interface behaviors deteriorations with matric suction reduction, while the later one was estimated through the traditional stress diffusion method. The feasibility of the proposed method was validated through a model RPCF test subjected to ground water level fluctuations. Good comparisons on RPCF mechanical behaviors indicate the proposed method can be a valuable tool in the design of RPCF in YRAP under extreme weather conditions.