Experimental Study on Lateral Bearing Capacity of Rock-Socketed Piles in Jointed Rock

Rock-socketed piles have been widely adopted in engineering projects with complex geological conditions due to their high load-bearing capacity. However, the joints in rock masses significantly impact the lateral load-bearing performance of pile foundations. The inherent nonlinearity and heterogeneity of rock materials, combined with the limitations of field testing, make it challenging for existing calculation methods to accurately assess this influence. To address this issue, this study proposes a novel laboratory model testing method designed to simulate jointed rock masses and elucidate their impact mechanisms on the lateral load-bearing capacity of rock-socketed piles. First, through a combination of literature review and numerical analysis, we investigated the control parameters of the joint (spacing and inclination angle) on rock strength, identifying key input parameters in the Hoek–Brown criterion. Based on these findings, artificial rock samples were used to simulate real rock masses with different joint characteristics, and systematic lateral load-bearing model tests were conducted. Subsequently, the experimental results validated the refined numerical model, which was then applied for mechanism extension analysis. The results demonstrate that rock strength exhibits significant structural effects: strength peaks when joint planes are parallel to the direction of maximum principal stress, while it reaches its minimum when the angle between them is 30° to 45°. The lateral displacement at pile tops decreases with increasing joint spacing, while the initial stiffness of the load–displacement curve increases accordingly. The proposed experimental method provides a reliable technical approach for studying the lateral response of rock-socketed piles in jointed rock masses. These findings hold important theoretical value and engineering reference significance for enhancing understanding of the lateral load-bearing mechanisms of rock-socketed piles in jointed rock masses, as well as guiding their practical design and construction.