Large-Scale Test Progress and Assessment of the In-Ground Hinge Development of Steel Pipe Piles

This paper summarizes an experimental campaign conducted to evaluate the steel pipe pile-soil-structure interaction and performance of in-ground hinges, the predictability of the response by tools used in design offices, and the results of an international blind prediction. The campaign included four 1:3 scale tests, each involving a single pile fabricated in accordance with API 5L standards, subjected to reversed-cyclic lateral loading while maintaining a constant axial load. The piles were installed and instrumented in an outdoor soil pit before testing. The tested piles had diameter-to-thickness ratios ranging from 22 to 43, with axial load ratios ranging from 4% to 13%. The lateral loading was displacement-controlled, while the axial load remained constant throughout. This research will provide useful information for industry practitioners to consider in seismic design practices for steel pipe-pile waterfront structures.