Pile Lateral Load Test in the Port of Los Angeles

Hunter, Matthew F.; Yourman, Allen M.; Diaz, Gerald M.; Chu, Hsueh-Hsin; ,

Pile Lateral Load Test in the Port of Los Angeles

by Matthew F. Hunter, Harding Lawson Associates, Santa Ana, United States,
Allen M. Yourman, Harding Lawson Associates, Santa Ana, United States,
Gerald M. Diaz, Harding Lawson Associates, Santa Ana, United States,
Hsueh-Hsin Chu, Harding Lawson Associates, Santa Ana, United States,

Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Ports '92

Abstract:

Recent wharf projects in West Coast ports have featured rock dikes to contain backland fill and the use of vertical piles embedded in the rock dikes to resist lateral loads. This paper presents the results of a pile lateral load test (PLLT) performed one of these projects in the Port of Los Angeles (Port). The purposes of the PLLT were to confirm and refine the soil/pile model used in design and to estimate the deflection/moment behavior of the production piles during lateral loading. The design model used lateral resistance (p) versus deflection (y) curve procedures that had been previously modified to account for piles being embedded in a sloping rock fill. These modifications were based in part on the results from a similar PLLT conducted previously at the Port. The results of the current PLLT were compared to the predicted pile performance used in the design. The model used for design was refined to provide a closer approximation of the test pile performance.

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