The response of rigid piles in sand to drained tensile inclined loading

This thesis presents data from model scale experiments conducted in a geotechnical centrifuge that demonstrate coupling between the vertical and horizontal load components of pile capacity in sand. The experiments utilised state-of-the-art fibre optic strain measurement technology to measure axial and bending strain along the pile under different load inclinations. These data provided a basis for establishing a simple coupled approach to calculate pile capacity in sand for an inclined tensile load. This approach is shown to be more accurate than calculations in which pile capacity was determined using a combination of the vertical and horizontal load components.