Effect of Lateral Soil Movement of Unstable Slope on Socketed Piles

Tschickardt T. G., Lee C.Y.

The stability of a slope is an important issue to prevent landslides, which in many cases results in extensive property damage and even in loss of human lives. The severity of a slide can be a major factor that disturbs the sustainable development in a country. A quintessential problem is the ensuring of slope stability. One of many measurements is the application of using stabilization piles, because it is an efficient and effective solution since the installation of piles improves the equilibrium of the slope. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of lateral soil movement of unstable slope on socketed piles. A total of 41 tests with free and fixed head socketed model piles have been conducted to investigate the pile resistance subjected to lateral soil movements. The experimental model pile tests were conducted in the laboratory with a large shear box apparatus. The conducted model pile tests had variable parameters such as the pile characteristics (rigid or flexible model piles), the pile spacing, the number of row of piles and also the pile group configuration such as ‘zigzag’ or parallel pile arrangement. The higher stiffness of the rigid piles is responsible for higher resistance to lateral soil movement than of flexible piles, but the low stiffness of the flexible piles will cause pile deflections. It was found that the group interaction and arching effect would increase with decreasing pile group spacing. The use of rigid and flexible piles in one pile group configuration considered as a hybrid pile group arrangement. This hybrid pile group arrangement may develops higher resistance for lateral soil movement and pile deflection.