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Abstract
Four vibrating wire strain gages were installed along a micropile founded in rock. The micropile was subject to
cyclic load increments and repeated loading. The results of the test and the analyses performed provided a useful
insight into the mechanism of load transfer to the rock during loading. Bond strength values were calculated based
on the test data. It was observed that, although the peak strength of the grout-rock interface was mobilized,
debonding of the micropile was not observed. The results obtained also illustrate the effect of repeated loading on
the response of micropiles in rock, and outline the potential limitations of the interpretation of elastic length values
from tests on non-instrumented micropiles.
Resumen
Cuatro sensores de deformación unitaria fueron instalados a lo largo de un micropilote empotrado en roca. El
micropilote fue sometido a incrementos de carga cíclicos y a repeticiones de carga. Los resultados de la prueba y
de los análisis realizados proveen una visión única del mecanismo de transferencia de carga del micropilote a la
roca. La adherenciaa lo largo del pilote fué calculada en base a los resultados de la prueba. A pesar de que se
movilizó la resistencia pico del contacto entre el micropilote y la roca, no se observó una pérdida significativa de
su resistencia. Los resultados obtenidos ilustran asimismo el efecto de las cargas repetidas sobre el
comportamiento de micropilotes en roca y resaltan las limitaciones existentes en la interpretación de la longitud
elástica de micropilotes de prueba no instrumentados.
Grout
F’c= 4 ksi
Residual soil
- 9.9 ft
Diabase rock
- 12.9 ft
- 15.9 ft
Depth (ft)
effort and consisted of seven 300-kip load
repetitions.
15
20
0.00
Movement (in)
0.10
Settlement (in)
25
0.20 100 kip 160 kip 240 kip
0.30 320 kip 400 kip 480 kip
560 kip 640 kip
0.40
0.50
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
Load (kip) Figure 3. Dissipation of axial load along the pile
∂ e ⋅ ΣEA
Le = (1)
Segment 1 ∆P
25 Segment 2
Bond Stress (ksf)
8 DEBONDING AND THE ELASTIC RATIO The foregoing does not imply that debonding
along a micropile cannot occur. It is possible that,
Two parameters are frequently used for if the grout-ground interface is strong enough,
evaluation of the performance of test micropiles. failure occurs at the interface between the steel
casing and the grout. Both cases would likely take data in Figure 5. It is seen that the elastic length
place under relatively large loads, and might (and elastic ratio) increases with increasing load in
induce a marked reduction of bond capacity after cases A and C. The more rapid increase in case A
initial failure. is due to the reduction in bond stresses with
increasing load in the upper portion of the
micropile, which then yields more load toward the
18 lower portion. In case B, the elastic length only
0.4 shows a slight increase as the bond stresses can
15 increase indefinitely in the upper portion of the
A
length(ft)
(ft
ratio
Elastic ratio
most cases.
Elasticlength
C
9
Elastic
0.2
The difference between the elastic length value
Elastic
6 B
estimated from the analyses and that determined
from the test data is explained by the locked-in
3
elastic compression of the test pile during
0 0 unloading, as discussed below.
0 200 400 600 800
10 ELASTIC LENGTH DURING REPEATED
Load (kip) LOADING
Figure 5. Elastic length and elastic ratio during test Figure 6 shows the variation of elastic length
and elastic ratio during the second stage of the
9 NUMERICAL ANALYSES test. The elastic length remains practically
unchanged during the initial load repetitions. After
The spreadsheet MICROPILE-C allows an the fourth cycle, the elastic length increases. This
approximate estimation of the response of a increase in elastic length can be attributed to
micropile to axial loading. It provides a simplified softening of the grout-rock interface with repeated
numerical solution for the problem of a bar loaded loading along segment 2. No actual debonding of
axially within a medium. The interface between the interface appeared to take place, as determined
the bar and the medium is assigned a constitutive from the strain data.
model consisting of an initial stiffness, a peak
interface shear strength, and a softened interface
shear strength. 24
20 0.5
Three analyses of the test pile were performed.
length (ft)
(ft