An extension of Broms’ theory to unsaturated soils

Lalicata, Leonardo Maria; Bruno, Agostino Walter; Gallipoli, Domenico

doi:10.1016/j.compgeo.2022.105189

Cited by 4 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 37 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In the sake of simplicity, the bulk unit weight 𝛾 is here assumed to be identical in both unsaturated and saturated layers. The solution of the translational and rotational equilibrium is presented by Lalicata et al [7] in a dimensionless form that provides the horizontal capacity 𝐻 𝑙𝑖𝑚 and the corresponding maximum bending moment 𝑀 𝑙𝑖𝑚 in terms of the non-dimensional groups listed in Table 1. Compared to Broms, the solution includes additional non-dimensional groups linked to the GWT depth and the SWRC parameters.…”

Section: Including Apparent Cohesion Into Broms Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It can be further shown that the value of 𝑐 𝑎𝑝𝑝 in eq. ( 4) depends on the non-dimensional GWT depth 𝑧 𝑤 𝑑 ⁄ , air entry suction 𝑠 𝑒 𝛾𝑑 ⁄ , unit weight of water 𝛾 𝑤 𝛾 ⁄ , slope of the SWRC 𝑛, residual degree of saturation 𝑆 𝑟,𝑟𝑒𝑠 and friction angle 𝜑 (see Lalicata et al [7] for further details). Interestingly, the non-dimensional group 𝑠 𝑒 𝛾𝑑 ⁄ indicates that, for a given soil and GWT depth, the effect of the air entry suction on the pile horizontal capacity decreases with increasing values of the pile diameter.…”

Section: Including Apparent Cohesion Into Broms Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…where 𝑆 𝑟,𝑟𝑒𝑠 is the residual degree of saturation and 𝑠 𝑒 (kPa) approximates the air entry suction. Note that Lalicata et al [7] assumed 𝑆 𝑟,𝑟𝑒𝑠 equal to zero for sake of simplicity. The present work instead considers SWRCs of three real soils that may exhibit a non-null residual degree of saturation (see Section 5).…”

Section: Shear Strength In Unsaturated Soilsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although traditional methods for the design of laterally loaded piles assume that the soil is either dry or fully saturated, the effect of partial saturation is lately attracting fresh research interest [2][3][4][5][6]. Recently, Lalicata et al [7] extended the well-known Broms method for dry or saturated soils to unsaturated soils by taking into account the combined effects of the position of the GWT and the cohesion of the unsaturated soil above it.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this paper, the main features of the method by Lalicata et al [7] are briefly recalled and the influence of the soil-water retention parameters on the computed pile capacity are highlighted before validating results against field data.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

An analytical method to evaluate the capacity of laterally loaded piles in unsaturated soils

2023

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The growing pressures of climate change, increased usage and unprecedented geo-hazards impose a modification in the way civil engineering structures are designed and constructed. This isparticularly true for geotechnical works, which are very sensitive to changes of environmental conditions. For instance, the response of a pile under lateral loading is strongly influenced by the stiffness and strength of the first few metres of soil below the surface, which are often partly saturated. To consider this effect, the present paper describes an analytical method, which extends the well-known Broms approach to predict thelateral capacity of piles in unsaturated soils. More specifically, the proposed method considers the combined effects of the position of the ground water table and the extra strength of the partially saturated soil above it. Compared to Broms approach, the solution introduces four additional non-dimensional parameters that relate the soil-water retention behaviour to the geometry of the pile. The method provides a direct evaluation of the lateral pile capacity in partly saturated soils, which can be used as a basis for more accurate design.

show abstract

Section: Including Apparent Cohesion Into Broms Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Including Apparent Cohesion Into Broms Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Shear Strength In Unsaturated Soilsmentioning

confidence: 99%