FIELD STUDY OF SHEAR TRANSFER IN STEEL SHEET PILE BULKHEAD

THE BEHAVIOR WAS EVALUATED OF INTERLOCKED STEEL SHEET PILING IN AN ACTUAL FIELD INSTALLATION. THE STRAIN DISTRIBUTION ACROSS A SHEET PILE WAS MEASURED IN ORDER TO EXPERIMENTALLY LOCATE THE NEUTRAL AXIS OF BENDING OF THE WALL. ECONOMICAL DESIGN OF SHEET PILE BULKHEADS REQUIRES AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE ACTION OF THE INDIVIDUAL PILE SECTIONS UNDER FIELD LOADING CONDITIONS. THE PILES WERE INSTRUMENTED PRIOR TO DRIVING WITH STRAIN GAGES ADEQUATELY PROTECTED AGAINST DRIVING FORCES AND GROUND-WATER INTRUSION. THE PILES WERE DRIVEN 25 FEET INTO AN ESSENTIALLY COHESIONLESS SOIL. STRESS DISTRIBUTIONS WITHIN THE WALL AND TIE ROD LOADS WERE MONITORED AS THE GROUND IN FRONT OF THE WALL WAS PERIODICALLY EXCAVATED IN 5 FOOT INCREMENTS TO WITHIN 5 FEET OF THE TOP OF THE SHEETING. A SUMMARY IS PRESENTED OF THE DATA OBTAINED IN THE FIELD TEST, AND THE DEGREE OF SHEAR TRANSFER MOBILIZED IN ARCH WEB STEEL SHEET INTERLOCKS IS DISCUSSED. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT, WITHIN THE RANGE OF APPLIED LOADS ENCOUNTERED IN THE INVESTIGATION, THAT SHEAR TRANSFER TAKES PLACE ACROSS THE INTERLOCK OF STEEL ARCH WEB SHEET PILES. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE EUROPEAN PRACTICE OF ASSUMING THAT THE PILES ACT AS A UNIT MORE CLOSELY APPROXIMATES FIELD CONDITIONS THAN THE AMERICAN PRACTICE OF INDIVIDUAL PILE ACTION.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Rept No 342.2, 54 PP, 16 FIG, 14 TAB, 8 REF
• Corporate Authors:

  Lehigh University

  Bethlehem, PA  United States  18015
• Authors:
  • Brewer, C E
  • Fang, H Y
• Publication Date: 1969-2

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Design; Economics; Granular soils; Shear stress; Sheet piling; Steel; Strain gages; Strain measurement; Support piles
• Uncontrolled Terms: Shear transfer; Steel piling
• Old TRIS Terms: Bulkheads; Interlocking
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Economics; Geotechnology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00208995
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 4 1994 12:00AM