Penetration and capacity of enlarged-base piles in structured marine clay: Large-deformation analysis and field validation
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The installation of enlarged-base piles in tidal flats involves a complex interaction between rigid penetrators and structured soft clay undergoing large deformations. This study investigates the penetration mechanism and soil squeezing effects of enlarged-base piles through full-scale field tests and Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian (CEL) numerical analysis. To accurately capture the strain-softening behavior and structural degradation of marine mucky clay, a Modified Structured Cam Clay (SCC-P) constitutive model was implemented into the CEL framework via a VUMAT subroutine. The numerical model, validated against field measurements, successfully reproduces the dynamic evolution of pile tip resistance. A novel state variable, defined as the "Ultimate Cavity Height" ( H cav ), is proposed to characterize the soil flow regime. Based on the evolution of H cav , the penetration process is classified into three distinct stages: shallow penetration, transition, and deep penetration, revealing the mechanism of soil backflow and cavity formation. Parametric studies indicate that the penetration rate and the geometric aspect ratio of the enlarged base strongly couple to control the anisotropy and intensity of the stress field. Furthermore, a theoretical prediction model for the vertical bearing capacity of deeply penetrated piles is established to quantify the strength degradation caused by structural damage during high-speed penetration. The findings provide a rigorous theoretical basis for optimizing pile geometry and construction parameters in marine geotechnical engineering.
Language: English
Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
Awards: G2227082735, G7490615672
OpenAlex ID: W7204113798