Full-scale pile subjected to different lateral dynamic loadings

This paper presents some results of dynamic lateral loading tests on a near-shore steel pipe pile vibrodriven into soft marine clay. Two typologies of tests are carried out on a free head pile: impact load tests and free vibration tests at different load levels. The aim of this experimentation is to investigate the dynamic soil-water-pile system interaction and determine the dynamic characteristics of the whole system by means of two different typologies of test and for different levels of the dynamic input. The obtained results show the complex dynamic behaviour of the vibrating soil water pile system in terms of natural frequencies and damping ratios. The values obtained from the two test typologies are compared and the variations with the level of the input force, due to the nonlinear behaviour of the system, are discussed