Abstract: In order to investigate the effect of cemented soil on dynamic response of static drill rooted pile, field tests and numerical simulation methods were employed. At first, field tests were performed to acquire the time domain curves of pile by low-strain testing, indicating that the amplitude and the arrival time of the reflected signal from pile tip were both affected by the cemented soil. Then, the shear moduli of cemented soil in different ages were obtained by bending element test. Afterwards, a three-dimensional finite element numerical model was established based on the tests on cemented soil, focusing on the amplitude of the reflected signal and wave velocity. After that, a comparison between the results of field tests and numerical simulation was presented, demonstrating good agreement. Finally, a parameter study for the effect of soil’s modulus was presented. The above research indicated that the modulus of cemented soil influenced both the amplitude of the reflected signal and the wave velocity of the pile. The numerical model could well simulate the dynamic response of the pile in low-strain test, and could be used for further research. The modulus of surrounding and base soil had no influence on the wave velocity of the pile.

Key words: static drill rooted nodular pile, cemented soil, low-strain test, wave velocity, field test, numerical simulation