The behavior of driven piles in sand - hydraulic gradient and numerical models

Hydraulic gradient models were used to study the behavior of driven piles in sand, both in loading and in pullout. In this method, body forces in the model are increased by applying downward seepage through the soil, with the result that the stress and strain fields simulate those in a full scale problem. The tests were conducted in a modified triaxial apparatus. The hydraulic gradient was monitored by 3 piezometers, located at different levels...