Evaluation of the Load-Displacement Relationships for Large-Diameter Piles in Sand

For laterally loaded piles in sand with diameters up to 6 m, e.g. monopiles used as foundations for offshore wind turbines, there is no approved design procedure. The p-y curve method, given in offshore design regulations, is usually employed for the design of monopiles. However, this method was developed for slender piles with diameters much less than 6 m and it is based on a limited number of tests. The aim of the present work is to extend the p-y curve method to large-diameter non-slender piles by considering the effects of the pile diameter on the soil response. The main focus is the initial stiffness of the p-y curves. The evaluation is based on experimental work as well as three-dimensional numerical analyses in the commercial programme FLAC3D.For laterally loaded piles in sand with diameters up to 6 m, e.g. monopiles used as foundations for offshore wind turbines, there is no approved design procedure. The p-y curve method, given in offshore design regulations, is usually employed for the design of monopiles. However, this method was developed for slender piles with diameters much less than 6 m and it is based on a limited number of tests. The aim of the present work is to extend the p-y curve method to large-diameter non-slender piles by considering the effects of the pile diameter on the soil response. The main focus is the initial stiffness of the p-y curves. The evaluation is based on experimental work as well as three-dimensional numerical analyses in the commercial programme FLAC3D.