Evaluation of the impact of soil–cement retrofitting on the failure behaviour of wharf piles in liquefiable soils

Liquefaction-induced lateral spreading significantly contributes to pile bending failure in pile-supported wharves. However, the combined effects of axial and lateral loads under such conditions have been insufficiently investigated, and the efficacy of existing reinforcement measures in mitigating such failures has been inadequately evaluated. In this work, the combined effects of lateral (inertial and kinematic) and axial loads on pile response and bending failure were investigated using centrifuge tests and numerical simulations. Various soil–cement retrofitting schemes were analysed to mitigate unfavourable wharf responses, and their contributions to bending failure were explored. A predictive method was developed to assess critical bending failure under retrofitted conditions. The findings indicate that the interaction between increased lateral and axial loads reduces the bending capacity of piles, heightening their vulnerability to bending failure. Notably, retrofitting the interpile soil effectively diminishes profile responses and enhances resistance to bending failure.