Theoretical basis and numerical simulation of parallel seismic test for existing piles using flexural wave

• Theoretical analysis of parallel seismic test using flexural wave is presented.
• A simplified theoretical model is established to elaborate the theoretical basis.
• A correction factor is obtained and proposed to correct the pile tip depth.
• A finite element model is developed to model the parallel seismic test.
• A series of parametric studies are carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness.

This paper presents theoretical analysis of the parallel seismic (PS) method for evaluating existing piles using the flexural mode wave exited by a horizontal impact on the lateral surface of a pile. A simplified theoretical model of the flexural wave for PS method was established to elaborate the theoretical basis. A correction factor was then obtained and proposed to correct the pile depth obtained from the PS method, thus providing a more accurate estimation. A three dimension (3-D) finite element (FE) model was developed and the existence of the flexural waves on branch F(1, 1) in the pile shaft has been verified. Two time domain methods were used to calculate the flexural wave velocity in the pile. One was based on the pile tip reflection signal using a model where pile head reflection was minimized, and another method used the slope of the upper fitted line in the PS test. The flexural wave velocities from both methods match well with the predicted flexural wave group velocity determined from the dispersion curve of a 1-D rod embedded in the soil. The accuracy in estimation of pile tip depth is improved by applying the correction factor. A series of parametric studies were carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of using flexural wave for PS test and the correction factor proposed in this study.