Analysis of an Aterally Loaded Pile under Scour Conditions Using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) Technique

Scouring, which is a common occurrence around pile foundations of bridges and offshore structures, poses a significant threat to their safety. Presently, research on scour has primarily focused on assessing the maximum scour depth, understanding the scour mechanism, and studying the degradation of the bearing capacity of pile foundations caused by scouring effects. However, there is limited research on the deformation characteristics of the soil around a laterally loaded pile with a three-dimensional (3D) scour hole. In this study, a series of model tests on laterally loaded piles were conducted in sand using the particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique. The effects of sand relative density, stiffness of the pile shaft, and size of the 3D scour hole were considered. The experimental results indicate that as the lateral load increases, the soil strain in the passive zone around the pile gradually develops in both radial and vertical directions, irrespective of the presence of scour. Additionally, due to pile movement, the soil in the active zone behind the pile may slide into a gap behind the pile shaft.