Axial load effect on piles with locked-in negative skin friction in consolidating soil

Piles are installed to support superstructure loading in field. If pile foundations are installed in consolidating ground, they are normally subjected to axial loads and NSF simultaneously. Relatively little research has been done on the load transfer mechanism of piles with locked-in negative skin friction (NSF) on application of axial force on pile heads. Locked-in NSF is NSF is developed on pile shaft prior to application of external loads on pile. In addition, less attention has been paid to serviceability limit states such as additional pile head settlement induced by axial loads. In this paper, three centrifuge model tests are reported to investigate behavior of floating piles subjected to NSF both before and after application of axial load. © 2006 Taylor & Francis Group