Single Pile Capacity on Clay Soil Based on Results of Physical Model Test

Abstract

Soft clay soil as a construction subgrade requires reinforcement from the pile to reduce settlement and increase bearing capacity. Alternative materials that can be used are the bamboo pile or wooden pile. The purpose of this study is to find out how much the bearing capacity of the pile is compared to concrete pile. The research was conducted using physical model tests in the laboratory. Piles with a diameter of 2 cm with different lengths are driven into the soft clay and then tested using load plates. Single pile capacity is determined from the relationship between the load and the settlement. The results showed that the capacities of bamboo and wooden piles were 1.193 and 1.086 times higher than the capacity of concrete pile, respectively. This can be caused because concrete pile has a greater weight than bamboo pile and wooden pile. The weight of the concrete increases the load, so the settlement is higher and the pile capacity is lower. Pile lengths that produce more effective capacities are obtained for piles with a minimum depth of 3/5 of the thickness of the soft clay.