Axial pile forces in piled embankments, field measurements

Several measurements were carried out in a basal reinforced piled embankment in the Netherlands. The present paper focuses on the influence of truck passages on the axial forces in the piles. The changes in axial forces in the piles were measured using two systems: (1) optic fibres attached to a square steel tube pile, measuring pile strains at ten positions along the pile length and (2) the total pressure on the pile cap with total pressure cells. Additionally, the axle loads of passing trucks and the load on the subsoil between the piles were measured. The measured changes in pile strains show that most truck load is transported to the subsoil by friction along the pile shafts. Comparison between measurements and calculations show that the truck wheel loads are spread stronger than assumed by Boussinesq