The Piling in Glauconitic Sand (PIGS) JIP: insights from axial and lateral pile load testing

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4. The Piling in Glauconitic Sand (PIGS) JIP: insights from axial and lateral pile load testing

The Piling in Glauconitic Sand (PIGS) Joint Industry Project (JIP) was established in 2021 to investigate the geotechnical behavior of glauconitic sands in relation to pile installation and operational performance. The scope of work completed to date comprises (i) characterization of glauconite / glauconitic sands from onshore test sites in New Jersey and from offshore wind lease areas across the Atlantic OCS, (ii) impact driving of steel pipe piles through glauconitic sands, and (iii) axial and lateral load testing of these piles. This paper presents insights derived from field data acquired during pile load testing at Search Farm. Two axial monotonic load tests were conducted on below-grade-instrumented closed-end piles, each with a diameter of 0.32 m. These piles were driven to depths of 20.1 m and 14.9 m below ground surface before being subjected to compressive and tensile loading, respectively. Four larger piles of diameter 1.52 m were laterally loaded after being driven to a target depth of 15.0 m. Analysis of pile load test data supports understanding of load-transfer mechanisms. The crushed glauconite zone created around the pile during driving is confirmed to cause a transition from coarse- to fine-grained behavior, affecting axial pile geotechnical response. Difficulties in correlating traditional interpretations of CPT results to post-driving pile response to loading are also highlighted.

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

7 - Pile design and installation in challenging soil conditions: glauconite, carbonated soils, cemented soils, gravels and rocks