Effect of clay shale shear strength degradation on bored pile friction in clay shale

Abstract

This research aims at investigating and modeling the axial bearing capacity degradation of a bored pile on clay shale due to the bored pile installation processes. Clay shale sample models were prepared to simulate the wetting and drying cycles through weathering process between 0 to 6 hours. All samples were tested in which every 1 hour of the weathering process representing 1 cycle of wetting and drying. The direct shear laboratory tests were performed to obtain the peak and residual shear strength parameters of the interface between the bored pile and clay shale. The peak and residual shear strength parameters were obtained after 6 hours of the weathering process. The residual shear strength parameters were measured by applying with and without stress release. This investigation showed that the shear strength degradation at peak, residual without stress release, and residual with stress release respectively reached 87-62%, 28-20%, and 25-14% after 1 to 6 hours of weathering process. This result is very useful for predicting the bored pile skin friction in clay shale soils.