Performance of tension piles in seismic events with different signatures

Model tests were conducted in a vibrated pressure chamber to study the performance of tension piles driven in saturated sand, during seismic events with different signatures. Two California-type seismic events, with similar magnitudes and durations of shaking but different source mechanisms, were scaled to simulate different magnitude earthquakes. Pile response for different combinations of simulated earthquake magnitudes (7.0, 7.5, and 8.0) of the two events was observed for different bias tension loading levels. Regions of stability, mobility, and failure conditions of the pile were established. Differences in signature between the two events had relatively little effect on the failure of the pile by extraction.