Axial response of piles in electrically treated clay

Improvement of the shear strength of soft clayey soils around steel pipe piles using high-voltage electrokinetics is investigated in the present study. The experimental setup of a large-scale testing facility is described. Four model piles were installed in two identical cylinders filled with simulated marine sediment. Five electrically insulated electrodes were installed close to the piles to apply a high-voltage electric field in the test cylinder. Negative direct current voltages of -20, -30, and -10 kV were applied in three phases, respectively, for 33 days in the treatment cylinder. Axial compression and pullout pile load tests were performed and the results were compared for both cylinders after each phase of treatment. The pile response is presented in terms of the experimental load deflection curves. It is observed that the axial capacity was increased 30, 29, and 8% after the first, second, and third treatment phases, respectively. The pullout capacity was increased due to the treatment by 11, 23, and 12% after the first, second, and third treatment phases, respectively. Further development of this technique may provide potential solutions for the improvement of soft marine clays, and ultimately it could be applied in the field to rehabilitate existing offshore foundations.