Comparing the driving and uplift behaviour of a vertical plate in silica and carbonate sands

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4. Comparing the driving and uplift behaviour of a vertical plate in silica and carbonate sands

This paper investigates the driving and uplift behaviour of a vertical plate in sand using centrifuge modelling. A thin plate, potentially representing a segment of a large diameter pile, was tested in three types of sand: silica sand, reconstituted carbonate sand and intact carbonate sand. The plate was dynamically driven using a hammer and subsequently uplifted. The number of hammer blows during driving and the resistance during uplift were recorded, while pre- and post-test particle breakage was measured for all sand specimens. The results show that during driving, intact carbonate sand exhibits a resistance approximately six times greater than that of silica sand and reconstituted carbonate sand. During uplift however, the resistance in silica sand is more than four times higher than that seen in the two carbonate sands. Particle analysis reveals slightly greater particle breakage in the intact carbonate sand compared to reconstituted carbonate sand, with negligible particle breakage observed in silica sand. It is concluded that the observed driving and uplift behaviour is strongly influenced by the fabric (structure) of intact carbonate sand, as well as particle breakage of the carbonate sediment.

5th International Symposium on Frontiers in Offshore Geotechnics (ISFOG2025)

6 - Pile Installation Challenges and Decommissioning in sands and clays: monopiles, anchor piles, pin piles