Field Tests for Investigating the Extraction Rate of Piles Using a Vibratory Technique

Factors directly affecting the extraction rate of the piles pulled out by a vibratory pulling system are summarized and classified into five categories (excitation force, resistance, vibration amplitude, pile plumbness keeping, and slowing down at the later stage) from the mechanics and engineering practice. Field tests on steel sheet piles extracted by vibratory technique in different soil conditions are conducted to ascertain how these factors affect the extraction rate of a pile with regard to three major actors of vibratory pile pulling: the pile to be extracted, the selected pulling system, and the imposed soil conditions. The extraction rates of three different sheet pile types (having up to four different lengths) pulled out by two different vibratory pulling systems are documented. The piles with different lengths and types, pulled out with or without a clutch, have different extraction rates. The working parameters governing the vibratory hammer, such as excitation force and vibration amplitude, exert significant influences on the rate of pile extraction, especially in the early stages of up-lift process. The extraction rate of the piles driven in different soil conditions is uniform because different extraction resistances mainly refer to shaft friction. The properties of the pile-soil interface influence the extraction rate of the piles, and the extraction rate decreases with the time for which the piles have been buried in the earth.