Development of an integrated pile driving and loading system for centrifuge tests
Development of an integrated pile driving and loading system for centrifuge tests
An integrated pile driving and loading system has been developed at Zhejiang University for centrifuge tests. The system comprises modular components for impact piling, vertical tracking, uninterrupted loading, and integrated data acquisition and control. It enables in-flight impact pile driving under the in-situ soil stress state, simulating realistic installation of marine piles. Hammer drop height is precisely controlled, and vertical guidance ensures accurate, stable penetration. Flexible switching between penetration and loading avoids soil disturbance from repeated spin-down and spin-up. An example centrifuge test demonstrates the systems performance, achieving well-controlled impact piling followed by successful load testing. The system provides a versatile platform for investigating pile installation and loading, with potential to address engineering challenges such as pile run and premature refusal.
Shihong Zhang; Lizhong Wang; Weiyuan Zhang; Zijun Dai; Ze Chen; Yi Wang; Huan Wang; Shengjie Rui; Mengtao Xu; Zhen Guo; Shuzhao Li
11th International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (ICPMG2026)
Special Session 3: Physical Modelling of Installation of Fixed OWT Foundations
https://doi.org/10.53243/ICPMG2026-49