DYNAMIC RESPONSE OF PILES IN SATURATED SOIL

THE PROPOSED RESEARCH PROGRAM WILL STUDY SOIL-PILE FOUNDATION INTERACTION INDUCED BY THE DETONATION OF CONVENTIONAL WARPONS. THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THE PROGRM IS TO ESTABLISH A SET OF GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR FOUNDATION DESIGN OF FUTURE STRATEGIC STRUCTURES AS WELL AS THE ASSESSMENT OF THE VULNERABILITY OF EXISTING STRUCTURES. THE PHASE I EFFORT WILL INVOLVE ANALYSIS OF THE EXISTING EXPERIMENTAL DATA, CONDUCTED UNDER 1 G AND 60 G (CENTRIFUGE) CONDITIONS, IN ORDER TO CONSTRUCT A SET OF DYNAMIC P-Y CURVES WHICH WOULD DEFINE THE SOIL-PILE INTERACTION. FURTHERMORE, THESE CURVES WILL BE USED FOR CALCULATION OF THE MODEL RESPONSES AND COMPARISON WITH EXPERIMENTAL DATA IN AN EFFORT TO ESTABLISH THE FEASIBILITY OF THE PROPOSED TECHNIQUE. FINALLY, A COMPREHENSIVE TEST PLAN WILL BE DEVELOPED WHICH WILL PROVIDE THE BASIS FOR A PHASE II RESEARCH PROGRAM AND ULTIMATE DEVELOPMENT OF DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR PILE FOUNDATIONS.