Marine Georesources & Geotechnology

ISSN: 1064-119X (Print) 1521-0618 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/umgt20

A Model Test on the Behavior of a Static Drill

Rooted Nodular Pile Under Compression

Jia-jin Zhou, Xiao-nan Gong, Kui-Hua Wang, Ri-Hong Zhang & Tian-Long Yan

To cite this article: Jia-jin Zhou, Xiao-nan Gong, Kui-Hua Wang, Ri-Hong Zhang & Tian-Long Yan
(2016) A Model Test on the Behavior of a Static Drill Rooted Nodular Pile Under Compression,
Marine Georesources & Geotechnology, 34:3, 293-301, DOI: 10.1080/1064119X.2015.1012313

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1064119X.2015.1012313

Accepted author version posted online: 29

Apr 2015.
Published online: 29 Apr 2015.

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 Marine Georesources & Geotechnology, 34: 293–301
Copyright # 2016 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 1064-119X print/1521-0618 online
DOI: 10.1080/1064119X.2015.1012313

A Model Test on the Behavior of a Static Drill Rooted

Nodular Pile Under Compression
JIA-JIN ZHOU1, XIAO-NAN GONG1, KUI-HUA WANG1, RI-HONG ZHANG2, and TIAN-LONG YAN2
1
Research Center of Coastal and Urban Geotechnical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
2
ZDOON Building Materials Group, Ningbo, China

Received 17 June 2014, Accepted 22 January 2015

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A static drill rooted nodular pile is a new type of composite pile foundation with high bearing capacity, and mud emissions can be
largely reduced using the static drill rooted method. This report presents a model test on the behavior of this composite pile in a test
box. The load-displacement response, axial force, skin friction, and mobilized base load are discussed in the report; in particular,
the force in the cemented soil was investigated based on the measured data. Moreover, the finite element software ABAQUS was
used to help investigate this behavior more thoroughly. It was determined that the function of the cemented soil around the pile
shaft was different from that at the enlarged pile base; the stress in the cemented soil around the shaft increased suddenly when
nearing the pile base; the ultimate skin friction obtained in the model test was larger than that estimated in the field test; and
the relative displacement between the precast nodular pile and the cemented soil could be ignored during the loading process, which
corresponded to the result of the field test and demonstrated that the nodular pile and cemented soil act as one entity during the
loading process.
Keywords: ABAQUS, cemented soil, load transfer mechanism, model test, static drill rooted nodular pile, three-dimensional modeling

Introduction surrounding soil, which will significantly improve lateral

A static drill rooted nodular pile is a new type of composite
pile foundation that uses the static drill rooted method in
precast nodular pile construction. The construction process
of the static drill rooted method has been described in a pre-
vious report (Zhou et al. 2013). This method not only avoids
the compacting effect that often occurs during construction
of the precast pile, but also significantly reduces mud emis-
sions compared to the bored pile approach.
The nodular pile has been widely used in Japan, and sev-
eral Japanese scholars have conducted research on the beha-
vior of this pile (Yabuuchi 1994; Horiguchi and Karkee
1995; Karkee et al. 1998; Borda et al. 2007; Honda et al.
2011). Considering that the construction method of the
nodular pile in Japan is different from the static drill rooted
method in China, and due to the different geological con-
ditions between the two countries, the experiences from
Japan cannot be exclusively applied in China. The static drill
rooted nodular pile has been used in certain soft soil areas in
southeast China, and the field behavior of this composite
pile has been investigated (Zhou et al. 2013). Furthermore,
the composite pile has been used in coast and port engineer-
ing projects in Ningbo and Shanghai, China, because the
injection of cement paste can promote the properties of the
Address correspondence to Xiao-nan Gong, Anzhong Building
Zijingang Campus of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang Province,
China. E-mail: xngong@hzcnc.com
bearing capacity. However, it is nearly impossible to mea-
sure the force in the cemented soil in field tests. As a key
component of the composite pile, the cemented soil plays
an important role in the loading process; hence, it is of great
significance when investigating the behavior of the cemented
soil. Therefore, a model test was conducted to provide an
extensive study on the behavior of the composite pile by ana-
lyzing the function of the cemented soil. The precast nodular
pile was instrumented with strain gauges along the pile shaft,
and a PVC pipe equipped with strain gauges was used to
measure the force in the cemented soil; the elastic modulus
of the PVC pipe should be close to that of the cemented soil
to confirm the accuracy of the measured data (Duan et al.
1994; Liu et al. 2010). Three soil pressure sensors were bur-
ied beneath the pile base to obtain the mobilized base load.
The behavior of the static drill rooted nodular pile and the
function of the cemented soil during the load transfer
process were analyzed based on the detailed data from the
model test in this report.
Test Preparation
Model Nodular Pile Approach
The model nodular pile was used in the test to simulate the
450 (300) mm nodular pile (the diameter of the pile shaft is
300 mm and changes to 450 mm at the pile nodes while the
distance between adjacent nodes is 1000 mm), and the scale
 294 J.-J. Zhou et al.

of the model pile was reduced to one-fifth of the prototype

pile. Therefore, the model pile used in the model test was a
90 (60) mm nodular pile, and the distance between adjacent
nodes was 200 mm. The total length of the model nodular
pile was 2 m. Because the diameter of the drilling hole for
the 450 (300) mm nodular pile was 550 mm, the diameter
of the drilling hole in the model test was 110 mm. Therefore,
the thickness of the cemented soil in the model test is 20 mm
along the shaft and 10 mm at the nodes. It is difficult to cre-
ate a concrete nodular pile model. The model pile was con-
structed of steel, which is different from the actual concrete
piles; nevertheless, this material distinction can essentially be
ignored in this study as the strength of the nodular piles
should be guaranteed in the actual project design, and the
cemented soil-soil interface is the crucial interface for the
behavior of this composite pile.
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Fig. 2. PVC pipe segments with strain gauges.

The nodular pile and PVC pipe were both instrumented
with strain gauges set as full-bridge circuits, and the strain
gauges were attached every 0.2 m along the pile shaft and
the PVC pipe. Assuming that the joint between the two
nodular piles is not smooth, strain gauges were not attached
at this point; therefore, eight circuits of the strain gauges
were attached both on the nodular pile and the PVC pipe.
In particular, two PVC pipe segments equipped with strain
gauges were attached to a complete PVC pipe with a diam-
eter of 100 mm, and the PVC pipe was settled in the cemen-
ted soil as well as around the nodular pile symmetrically.
The model nodular pile and the PVC pipe were calibrated
after the strain gauges were attached, and epoxy resin was
imposed on the surface of the strain gauges to act as a pro-
tective layer. The soil pressure sensors were buried under-
neath the pile base to measure the mobilized base load,
and they were calibrated using a pressure barrel for calibrat-
ing soil pressure sensors. The model nodular pile and the
PVC pipe segments with attached strain gauges are pre-
sented in Figures 1 and 2, respectively.
Preparation of Foundation Soil
The test box was a 1.8 m  1.8 m  2.5 m steel box. As
mentioned earlier, the diameter of the model nodular pile
was 90 mm at the nodes; therefore, the distance between the
nodular pile and the edge of the test box reached 10 times the
pile diameter. Although the depth of the installed model nodu-
lar pile was 2 m, the distance between the pile tip and the bot-
tom of the test box was 0.5 m. Four steel pipes were placed at
the corners of the test box to saturate the foundation soil,
and all of the steel pipes reached the bottom of the test box.
Moreover, four valves were set at the bottom of the test box
to draw off the water after the saturation stage was completed.
To simulate the actual situation, sandy soil was first placed
into the test box to act as the base soil, and clayey soil was
placed above the sandy soil. The clayey soil was typical clayed
soil in Ningbo while the sandy soil was river sand. The
properties of the foundation soil are presented in Table 1.
To make the foundation soil homogenous, the soil was
filled layer by layer, and the thickness of one layer was
0.1 m after compaction. The volume and the weight of one
soil layer can be calculated as follows:
DV ¼ L2 Dh ¼ 1:8  1:8  0:1m3 ¼ 0:328m3 ð1Þ
Dm ¼ qDV ð2Þ
where DV and Dm are the volume and the weight of each soil
layer, respectively; and q is the density of the soil. In this test,
the dry density of the soil was used to control the weight of
the soil and was set as 1.50 g=cm3 and 1.60 g=cm3 for clayey
soil and sandy soil, respectively. The actual density of the
soil q can be expressed as follows:

q ¼ qd ð1 þ WÞ ð3Þ
where qd is the dry density; and w is the water content of the
soil. The water content of the clayey soil and the sandy soil

Table 1. Physical and mechanical indexes of the soil in the

model test
u ( )
Thickness
Layer Soil of soil csat Peak Residual c Es
No. layer layer (m) (kN=m3) strength strength (kPa) (MPa)

1 Clay 1.8 19.10 35.5 30.5 24.5 5.35

Fig. 1. Model nodular pile with attached strain gauges. 2 Sand 0.7 19.92 37.5 35.0 0.5 15.80
 Static Drill Rooted Nodular Pile
used in the test is approximately 20% and 6%, respectively.
Consequently, the weight of one soil layer can be calculated
using Equations (1), (2), and (3). During the compaction
process, the soil should initially be evenly spread on the test
box using shovels; then, a flat-panel vibration machine can
be used to compact the soil until the soil layer reaches the
set line marked on the test box.
The homogeneity of the foundation soil should be exam-
ined after each soil layer is compacted to the set line, and soil
samples obtained from three different places with cutting
rings are tested. The average density of the samples should
not deviate over 5% of the given value; moreover, the density
of any two samples should also not deviate over 5% of the
given density. The next soil layer should not be filled until
the requirements mentioned earlier are met.
The foundation soil should be saturated after the filling
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stage is completed. The water permeated into the foundation
soil through the four steel pipes previously arranged, and the
entire saturation stage lasted for approximately 15 days. The
valves at the bottom of the test box were opened to draw off
the water after the foundation soil was saturated completely;
finally, Cone Penetration Tests (CPTs) were conducted to
measure the properties of the foundation soil.
Because a suitable auger for drilling the hole of the com-
posite pile was unavailable, a steel pipe with a diameter of
110 mm was buried in the clayey soil to maintain the space
for the model pile; moreover, the enlarged cemented soil base
was constructed in advance and buried in the soil. The steel
pipe was removed after the foundation soil preparation stage
was completed. Although the construction process of the
model test was slightly different from that in the actual
projects, the accomplished model composite pile could be
considered to be nearly the same as the prototype pile.
Loading System
The model pile was loaded using a 300 kN hydraulic jack,
and the test system included a pressure sensor, a dial indi-
cator, a data-acquisition device, and a static strain testing
instrument. The range of the pressure sensor was 300 kN
while that of the dial indicator was 60 mm.
Cemented Soil Test
Because it is an important component of the composite pile,
the cemented soil plays a significant role during the load
transfer process. Both the strength and the elastic modulus
of the cemented soil may affect the behavior of the
Table 2. Testing results of the unconfined compressive strength of cemented soil with different ratios
Water Volumetric ratio (cement
Cemented soil cement ratio paste: mud)
Cemented soil 1.0 0.3
around the pile 1.5 0.3
Cemented soil at 0.6 1.0
pile tip 0.6 1.5
0.6 2.0
295
composite pile. Because the function of the cemented soil
along the shaft is different from that at the enlarged pile
base, the cemented soil along the shaft primarily acts as a
transition layer to promote the frictional property between
the pile and the soil, while the cemented soil at the enlarged
pile base shares part of the mobilized base load. Therefore,
the proportions of the two types of cemented soils are differ-
ent. In the actual projects (e.g., the project mentioned in the
previous report (Zhou et al. 2013), the water cement ratio of
the cement paste at the enlarged pile base was 0.6, and the
volumetric ratio of the cement paste and the mud was con-
sidered to be 2:1 by referring to the test results of the core
samples on the site. The water cement ratio of the cement
paste along the shaft is 1.0, and the volumetric ratio of the
cement paste and the mud is considered to be 0.3:1. The
water content of the mud on the site was approximately
50% based on the results of laboratory experiments.
To investigate the strength and elastic modulus of the
cemented soil and determine the most suitable proportion,
unconfined compressive strength tests of the cemented soil
were conducted. The water cement ratio of the cemented
soil at the enlarged pile base remained at 0.6 while the volu-
metric ratio of the cement paste and the mud was 1:1, 1.5:1,
and 2:1. For the cemented soil along the shaft, the volu-
metric ratio of the cement paste and the mud remained at
0.3:1 while the water cement ratio was 1.0 and 1.5. During
the process of constructing cemented soil blocks, the soil
grains and cement were initially stirred to be sufficiently
even, and then the required amount of water was added
and stirred to create homogenous cemented soil blocks; fur-
thermore, 42.5 Portland cement was used, which was used
in the actual projects. Based on the test approach of the
cement mortar, the cemented soil blocks were made in
70.7 mm  70.7 mm  70.7 mm molds. To gain more accu-
rate data for the elastic modulus of the cemented soil,
150 mm  150 mm  300 mm molds were also used in the
tests. All field tests were conducted after curing for 28 days;
hence, the blocks were cured in a standard curing room for
28 days. The unconfined compressive strength tests were
conducted in a universal testing machine. The results of
the tests are presented in Table 2.
It can be seen in Table 2 that, for the cemented soil along
the pile shaft, the unconfined compressive strength is
0.340 MPa when the water cement ratio is 1.5 and increases
to 0.706 MPa when the water cement ratio is 1.0. Hence, the
strength of the cemented soil more than doubles when the
water ratio changes from 1.5 to 1.0; thus, it may be improper
to change the water cement ratio to 1.5. Furthermore, it can
Cement Moisture Unconfined compressive E50 Es
content content strength (MPa) (MPa) (MPa)
10.97% 57.80% 0.706 120 146
7.88% 61.81% 0.340 58 91
43.53% 54.69% 7.08 1003 1533
57.76% 55.70% 9.37 1211 2032
69.03% 56.39% 11.10 1984 2779
 296
be seen in Table 2 that the deformation modulus E50 is
approximately 170 times the strength of the test blocks,
and the elastic modulus Es is 207 and 268 times the strength
for the test blocks.
Furthermore, Table 2 indicates that the unconfined com-
pressive strength of the cemented soil at the enlarged pile
base increases with an increasing volumetric ratio. The
unconfined compressive strength of the cemented soil is
9.37 MPa when the volumetric ratio is 1.5, which may be suf-
ficient for the actual projects; therefore, the volumetric ratio
can be adjusted based on the economic aspects. The defor-
mation modulus E50 of the cemented soil is (129–179) times
its strength. According to the Technical Code for Ground
Treatment of Buildings (JGJ79-2012), the deformation
modulus of the cemented soil is 100–120 times its unconfined
compressive strength. Based on the complexity of the cemen-
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ted soil, the results obtained in the test can be considered to
be reliable.
Model Test
Test Procedure
The static load test was conducted after the cemented soil
was cured for 28 days, and the test was conducted based
Fig. 3. Sketch of the model test.
J.-J. Zhou et al.
on the industry standard in China (JGJ106-2003). The load
was applied using a hydraulic jack, and the settlement of the
pile head was measured using a dial indicator. The strains of
the pile and the PVC pipes were surveyed using a static
strain testing instrument. A slow maintained load method
was used for the test (JGJ106-2003), and the load was
increased gradually. The magnitude of the load at each step
was selected to be one-eighth to one-twelfth of the estimated
maximum testing load in general. Although the bearing
capacity of the static drill rooted nodular pile was not inves-
tigated clearly, the value of each step was relatively small so
that the integrity of the load-displacement curve could be
guaranteed. During the test, the settlement at the pile head
was measured at an interval of 5 min, 15 min, 30 min,
45 min, 60 min, 90 min, etc., after each loading step until a
certain rate of settlement was achieved (e.g., the settlement
was not greater than 0.1 mm within every 1 h). The value
of the unloading step was twice that of the loading value,
and the pile head settlement was measured at an interval
of 15 min, 30 min, 60 min, etc. Finally, it was necessary to
wait 3 h after the unloading step for the results to return
to zero. The sketch of the model test and the locations of
the strain gauges and soil pressure sensors are provided in
Figure 3 while the load-displacement response of the test pile
is presented in Figure 4. It can be seen in Figure 4 that the
 Static Drill Rooted Nodular Pile
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Fig. 4. Load-displacement curve of the model pile.
settlement of the pile head increases steadily during the load-
ing process, and the load-displacement curve can be con-
sidered as a slowly changing curve. Based on the industry
standard in China (JGJ106-2003), the ultimate bearing
capacity of the model nodular pile is assumed to be 70 kN.
Axial Force of the Model Nodular Pile
As mentioned earlier, the axial force of the nodular pile and
the cemented soil were measured using a static strain testing
instrument, and the mobilized base load was monitored by
the soil pressure sensors. The axial forces of the nodular pile
and the cemented soil under different loads are provided in
Figures 5 and 6, respectively.
It can be seen in Figure 5 that the axial force of the nodu-
lar pile decreases along the shafts because of the skin friction
provided by the soil around the pile. Furthermore, it can be
seen in the same figure that the mobilized base load is 0 kN
when the applied load on the pile head is 10 kN, and it is
gradually mobilized with an increasing applied load.
Fig. 5. Axial force of the test pile under different loads.
297
Fig. 6. Axial force of the cemented soil under different loads.
Additionally, the skin friction increases with an increasing
applied load. Therefore, the variation trend in the axial force
of the test pile is similar to that in the traditional pile
foundation.
The axial force of the cemented soil is obtained by arrang-
ing the strains of the PVC pipe. As mentioned earlier, the
elastic modulus of the PVC pipe was close to that of the
cemented soil, and they were combined closely; hence, it
can be assumed that the strain of the PVC pipe is identical
to the strain of the cemented soil.
It can be seen in Figure 6 that the force of the cemented
soil remains nearly unchanged along the shaft and increases
slightly with an increasing applied load. When the applied
load is 70 kN, the force of the cemented soil at a depth of
1.4 m is 0.58 kN, and the stress is 0.09 MPa. Therefore, the
stress in the cemented soil along the shaft is small, and it
truly acts as a transition layer that promotes the frictional
capacity of the composite pile. Consequently, the strength
of the cemented soil along the shaft does not need to be
extremely high.
Furthermore, it can be seen in Figure 6 that the force of
the cemented soil increases suddenly between the depths of
1.4 m to 1.6 m while it is still the area of the cemented soil
along the shaft; hence, special attention should be given to
this area. When the applied load at the pile head is 70 kN,
the force of the cemented soil at a depth of 1.6 m is 1.84
kN, and the stress is 0.28 MPa. According to Table 2, the
unconfined compressive strength of the cemented soil along
the shaft is 0.71 Mpa; thus, the cemented soil used in the test
is reliable. However, the scale of the pile is larger while the
load of the cemented soil may also be greater in the
actual projects, and the cemented soil in this area is prone
to damage.
Furthermore, Figure 6 indicates that the strength of the
cemented soil at the enlarged pile base is significantly greater
compared to that of the cemented soil along the pile shaft.
When the applied load is 70 kN, the force at the enlarged
base is 11.6 kN, and the stress is 1.46 MPa. Combining
Figures 5 and 6, the total mobilized base load is 51.8 kN
 298
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Fig. 7. Curves of the shaft resistance and pile-soil relative
displacement of the test pile.
when loaded to 70 kN, in which the force of the cemented
soil and the nodular pile is 11.6 kN and 40.2 kN, respect-
ively. Therefore, the cemented soil at the enlarged pile base
takes 22.4% of the entire mobilized base load. In the actual
projects, the load ratio of the nodular pile and the cemented
soil will most likely change; however, it can be confirmed
that the cemented soil at the enlarged base will share part
of the mobilized base load.
Relative Displacement Between Pile and Soil
Because a composite pile foundation consists of the precast
nodular pile and the cemented soil, the nodular pile and
the cemented soil are considered to be one entity during
the loading process. Therefore, only the relative displace-
ment between the cemented soil and the soil should be con-
sidered. The relative displacement between the cemented soil
and the surrounding soil can be estimated as follows (Dong
et al. 1994):
X
i
Li
di ¼ S  ðej þ ejþ1 Þ ð4Þ
j¼1
2
where S is the pile head settlement; Li is the length of the pile
shaft i; and ej and ej þ 1 are the strains of the pile shaft at
sections j and j þ 1, respectively.
The relationship between the skin friction and the pile-soil
relative displacement is presented in Figure 7. Based on the
statistics of the cone penetration tests (CPTs), and referring
to the Technical Code for Building Pile Foundations
(JGJ94-2008), the ultimate skin friction of each soil layer is
provided in Table 3.
Table 3. Standard skin friction of soil in the test
Soil layer (m) 0–0.2 0.2–0.4 0.4–0.6
Ultimate skin friction (kPa) 1 3.5 6 9
J.-J. Zhou et al.
Fig. 8. Pile tip displacement versus pile tip load.
It can be seen in Figure 7 that the skin friction of each soil
layer increases gradually with an increasing pile-soil relative
displacement before being fully mobilized. For the soil layers
between the depths of 1.6 m and 2.0 m, the skin friction will
have a small reduction after reaching the maximum value,
which is commonly known as the strain-softening phenom-
enon of skin friction. The measured average skin friction
of each soil layer under the ultimate bearing capacity is
compared with the recommended values in Table 3, and
the comparisons indicate that the measured ultimate skin
friction of each soil layer is 1.20–1.47 times the recom-
mended values, while the ultimate skin friction of the static
drill rooted nodular pile is approximately 1.05–1.10 times
the bored pile in the actual projects (Zhou et al. 2013).
Hence, the ultimate skin friction is more improved in the
model test than in the actual projects, and one possible rea-
son is that the cemented soil is uniform while the interface
between the cemented soil and the surrounding soil adheres
well in the model test. Furthermore, it is difficult to create
cemented soil that is adequately even for the actual projects,
and the inhomogeneity of the cemented soil will affect the
frictional capacity between the cemented soil and the soil.
Mobilized Base Load of the Test Pile
The relationship between the mobilized base load and the tip
displacement is provided in Figure 8; there are three curves
in the figure. The entire mobilized base load consists of the
mobilized load of the precast nodular pile and that of the
cemented soil. Figure 8 indicates that the mobilized loads
of the nodular pile and the cemented soil both increase with
an increase in the tip displacement when the tip displacement
0.6–0.8 0.8–1.2 1.2–1.4 1.4–1.6 1.6–1.8 1.8–2.0
15 22 28 35 42
 Static Drill Rooted Nodular Pile
is small, and the mobilized load of the cemented soil remains
nearly unchanged after the tip displacement reaches 7.5 mm.
One probable reason is that the modulus of the cemented
soil is significantly smaller than that of the nodular pile,
and the strain of the cemented soil is larger than that of
the nodular pile, which causes the nodular pile and the
cemented soil to separate gradually at a small scale at the
pile base. Therefore, the mobilized load of the cemented soil
remains unchanged while that of the nodular pile increases
with an increasing tip displacement. Finally, the mobilized
load of the cemented soil takes 22.4% of the entire mobilized
base load.
ABAQUS Simulation
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To investigate the behavior of the static drill rooted nodular
pile and analyze the function of the two types of cemented
soils more thoroughly, the finite element software ABAQUS
was used to simulate the loading process of the model test.
Thus, a three-dimensional modeling was built.
Modeling
Only half of the model is built because the model test is a
nodular pile under compression. The nodular pile is defined
using a linear elastic material while the cemented soil and the
foundation soil are defined using a Mohr-Coulomb elastic-
plastic material. The vertical load is applied using the
displacement control method (Fei and Zhang 2009). The
geometric parameters of the nodular pile are the same as that
in the model test; the elastic modulus of the pile is 210 GPa
while the Poisson’s ratio is 0.3. The radius of the soil foun-
dation is 2 m and the height is 3 m, which confirms that
the distance from the pile to the edge of the soil foundation
reaches 10 times the diameter of the pile. The soil properties
are selected according to Table 1. The parameters of the
cemented soil are selected according to Table 2, and the
cohesion and friction angle of the cemented soil are selected
according to (Huang et al. 2000). The elastic modulus of the
cemented soil along the pile shaft is 146 MPa and that of
the cemented soil at the enlarged pile base is 2779 MPa.
The Poisson’s ratio of the cemented soil is 0.3.
Interface Definition
The selection of the interface is of great importance in finite
element modeling. There are three interfaces defined in the
model: the pile-cemented soil interface, the pile-soil inter-
face, and the cemented soil-soil interface. All of these three
interfaces are defined as a hard contact (Fei and Zhang
2009) for the normal contacts, and the Coulomb friction
model is selected for the shear contacts. When defining the
contact pair, the determination of the master-slave surfaces
are based on the rigidity of the surface, and the surface with
a relative higher rigidity will be defined as the master surface.
The friction coefficient of the pile-cemented soil interface is
selected to be 0.65 (Wu 2008), while the friction coefficient
of the pile-soil interface can be estimated (Randolph and
Wroth, 1981) as follows:
299
 
sin u  cos u
w ¼ tan1 ð5Þ
1 þ sin2 u
l ¼ tan w ð6Þ
where u is the original internal angle of the soil; w is
the transformational internal angle; and l is the friction
coefficient.
Because the frictional property of the cemented soil-soil
interface is different from that of the pile-soil interface,
Zheng and Jiang (1999) noted that the skin friction of the
cemented soil-soil interface is higher compared to that of
the pile-soil interface of the bored piles. Furthermore,
Potyondy and Eng (1961) summarized the internal friction
angle between the different soils and materials by conducting
hundreds of model tests. Based on previous experiences and
referring to the soil properties of the model test, the friction
coefficient of the cemented soil-soil interface is determined as
0.36 in clayey soil and 0.40 in sandy soil. The elastic slip
allowable value is set as 0.5% of the unit length, which is
commonly used in ABAQUS modeling. The sketch of the
nodular pile using ABAQUS is presented in Figure 9.
Simulation Results
Figure 10 illustrates the load-displacement curves of the
model test as well as those calculated using ABAQUS. It
can be seen in Figure 10 that the trend of the two curves
are similar except that the displacement of the simulation
curve is slightly larger compared to that of the measured
one. One probable reason is that the Coulomb friction
model is selected for the shear contacts in the model, and
the initial friction is smaller than the actual situation. Never-
theless, the calculated result can be considered to be rational,
and the modeling method used in the report is reliable.
Pile-Cemented Soil Relative Displacement
As mentioned earlier, the precast nodular pile and the cemen-
ted soil should act as one entity during the loading process.
The shape of the cemented soil along the shaft is irregular
because of the existence of the nodes along the shaft; thus,
Fig. 9. Sketch of the nodular pile in ABAQUS.
 300
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Fig. 10. Contrast of QS curves calculated by the finite element
method and measured in the test.
it is difficult to obtain accurate relative displacement in the
model test. Therefore, the results of the simulation
calculation are used to investigate the pile-cemented soil rela-
tive displacement. Figure 11 provides the displacements of
the nodular pile and the cemented soil calculated using
ABAQUS.
It can be seen in Figure 11 that the displacement of the
nodular pile is nearly the same as the displacement of the
cemented soil along the pile shaft, while the relative displace-
ment of the pile-cemented soil is gradually mobilized at the
enlarged base; moreover, the value of the relative displace-
ment at the enlarged base increases with an increase in the
applied load. It was mentioned earlier that the cemented soil
shares part of the mobilized base load, and the nodular pile
and the cemented soil most likely separate at the pile base.
Hence, Figure 11 confirms this assumption, and the relative
displacements of the nodular pile and the cemented soil at
Fig. 11. Displacements of the nodular pile and the cemented soil
under different loads.
J.-J. Zhou et al.
the pile base are 1.3%, 7.5%, 5.0%, 3.8%, 4.3%, and 5.0%
for the six steps selected from the results of the ABAQUS
calculation.
Force of the Cemented Soil
As mentioned earlier, the force of the cemented soil increases
suddenly between the depths of 1.4 m and 1.6 m, and the
cemented soil is prone to damage in this area. The calculated
results are used to analyze the load of the cemented soil more
thoroughly, and the load of the cemented soil along the shaft
is presented in Figure 12.
It can be seen in Figure 12 that the load of the cemented
soil calculated using ABAQUS is similar to the load mea-
sured in the model test. The load of the cemented soil along
the shaft is small and suddenly becomes larger at the pile
base. Furthermore, it is at the depths of approximately
1.5 m and 1.7 m that the load of the cemented soil increases
suddenly. The mutation at a depth of 1.5 m corresponds to
the mutation between the depths of 1.4 m to 1.6 m in the
model test and confirms the result of the model test. The
height of the enlarged pile base is 300 mm; thus, it is
reasonable that the force of the cemented soil increases
abruptly at a depth of approximately 1.7 m. When the
applied load reaches 70 kN (i.e., the ultimate bearing
capacity of the pile), the load of the cemented soil at the
enlarged base is 12.9 kN while the load measured in the
test is 11.6 kN; hence, the calculation value is 11.2% larger
than the measured value. One probable reason is that the
cemented soil is defined using the Mohr-Coulomb elastic-
plastic material in the model, while the cemented soil used
in the model test may not be adequately uniform, and the
uniform cemented soil does not use the standard
Mohr-Coulomb elastic-plastic material. Nevertheless, con-
sidering the complexity of the cemented soil, the deviation
is acceptable, and the simulation results can be used to
help analyze the behavior of the cemented soil during the
loading process.
Fig. 12. Mobilized load of the cemented soil along the shaft.
 Static Drill Rooted Nodular Pile
Conclusion
This report presents a model test on the behavior of a static
drill rooted nodular pile, and the functions of two types of
cemented soils are investigated, which is valuable for the
application of nodular piles in actual projects. Finally, the
finite element software ABAQUS was used to provide a
thorough study on the behavior of this composite pile. The
conclusions can be drawn as follows:
1. The function of the cemented soil along the pile shaft is
different from the function of the cemented soil at the
enlarged pile base. The cemented soil along the shaft acts
as a transition layer while the cemented soil at the
enlarged base takes part of the mobilized base load.
2. The mobilized load of the cemented soil along the pile
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shaft increases suddenly when approaching the pile
base, and the strength of the cemented soil at this area
should be enhanced in the actual projects. Moreover,
proper ratios for the two types of cemented soils are
proposed.
3. The ultimate skin friction measured in the model test is
larger than that estimated in the field test, and an
improvement in the construction techniques will most
likely promote the ultimate bearing capacity of the static
drill rooted nodular pile.
4. Almost no relative displacement between the nodular pile
and the cemented soil is promoted during the loading
process in the model test, which has the same result as
the field test; this outcome demonstrates that the nodular
pile and the cemented soil truly act as one entity during
the loading process.
Acknowledgements
Our great appreciation goes to the reviewers and the edi-
torial board for reviewing and commenting on this report.
Special thanks are extended to the teachers from the
Research Center of Coastal and Urban Geotechnical
Engineering of Zhejiang University, China for their insight-
ful advice. The authors would also like to thank the
ZDOON Building materials group, China, for providing
the test site.
Funding
This research is sponsored by the Natural Science
Foundation of China (51278450, 51378464).
301
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