• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.67-79
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• 2016

Waveform micropile is an advanced construction method that combined the concept of conventional micropile with jet grouting method. This new form of micropile was developed to improve frictional resistance, which consequently leads to achieving higher bearing capacity and cost efficiency. Two field tests were conducted to examine the field applicability as well as to verify the effects of bearing capacity enhancement. In particular, waveform micropile construction using jet grouting method was performed to evaluate the viability of waveform micropile installation. After testing, the surrounding ground was excavated to check the accomplishment on the shape of waveform micropile. The result showed that waveform micropile can be installed by adjusting the grouting time and pressure. In the loading tests, waveform micropile's bearing capacity increased by 1.4 to 2.3 times depending on their shapes when compared with conventional micropile. Overall results clearly demonstrated that waveform micropile is an enhanced construction method that can improve bearing capacity.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.39-49
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• 2015

In this study, a series of centrifuge tests were performed in order to observe the bearing capacity of waveform micropile, a new concept of micropile that uses a modified jet grouting process. A total of six models were considered, conventional micropile, jet grouted pile, and four different shapes of waveform micropiles. The test results indicated that the waveform micropile effectively contributes to the increase of the bearing capacity compared to the micropile without the shear keys. Among the waveform micropiles, the model that has a relatively small space between the shear keys showed the most significant improvement of load capacity. Additionally, the ultimate load capacities of all piles were compared using well-known estimation method. As a result, P-S curve method and total settlement method with 25.4 mm were considered suitable to account ultimate load for the waveform micropile.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.1049-1057
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• 2016

The waveform micropile is a type of foundation that has a single or multiple shear keys on the pile shaft, and it is constructed through a jet grouting method as a way to increase the shaft resistance of the bonded area between the pile and the soil. In this paper, a geotechnical centrifuge test was performed to study the axial performance of the waveform micropile from other models. The six test models consisted of three waveform micropiles with a single shear key at three different depths, a waveform micropile with multiple shear keys, a conventional micropile, and a jet grouting micropile. Based on the test results, it was clearly shown that the waveform micropile increased in its bearing capacity compared to the other models without the shear key. Additionally, it was observed that the confining pressure for the location of a shear key is directly related to the increase of the bearing capacity.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.335-344
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• 2019

Micropiles are widely used for foundation underpinning to enhance bearing capacity and reduce settlement of existing foundation. In this study, the main objective is to evaluate underpinning performance of a newly developed micropile called waveform micropile for foundation underpinning during vertical extension. Finite element method (FEM) was used to evaluate the underpinning performance of waveform micropile in terms of load-settlement response of underpinned foundation and load sharing behavior. For comparison, underpinning effects of three conventional micropiles with different lengths were also discussed in this study. Numerical results of load-settlement response for single pile demonstrated that bearing capacity and axial stiffness of waveform micropiles were higher than those of conventional micropiles because of the effect of shear keys of waveform micropiles. When additional loads 20 %, which is according to design loads of the vertical extension, were applied to the underpinned foundation, load sharing capacity of waveform micropile was 40 % higher than conventional micropile at the same size. The waveform micropile also showed better underpinning performance than the conventional micropile of length 1~1.5 times of waveform micropile.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.5906-5914
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• 2013

Recently in Korea, the policy is being proceeded to build a intergenerational housing on artificial ground of railroad site for utilizing rental house. Due to narrow space of rail road site, suitable method have to be developed such as micropiles which is known as a method of a fast construction. However, If micropile is used as foundations for the super structure, construction cost is increases compared with other pile. Consequently, new concept micropile proposed to improve both bearing capacity and cost efficiency of general micropile. New concept micropile consists of waveform cement grout surrounding tread bar that formed by grouting the soil layer with jet grouting method as control the grout pressure and flow. The micropile with waveform is expected to decrease the construction cost by cut down pile length of general micropile. This paper examined the behavior of the new concept micropile with waveform subjected to axial load using two-dimensional axisymmetric numerical analyses method. According to the numerical result, there will cost effectiveness as the pile displacement decreased despite the length of waveform micropile is down about 5% from a general micropile under the same loading condition. Also, the effect of skin friction force which mobilized from the waveform of micropile appeared at relatively soft ground.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.29-40
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• 2023

In this study, we investigated the reinforcing effects of waveform micropiles in a stratigraphic setting comprising buried soil, weathered soil, and weathered rock. We conducted a series of field load tests and determined that waveform micropiles exhibited sufficient bearing capacity through frictional resistance in the soil layer and demonstrated favorable constructability in conditions with deep bedrock layers. Moreover, the vertical stiffness of waveform micropiles was approximately 2.2 times higher than that of conventional micropiles when subjected to the same design load. Pile group load tests comprising conventional and waveform micropiles showed that micropiles with higher stiffness carried a greater proportion of the load. Although there was no significant difference in the bearing capacity between conventional and waveform micropiles under the same design load, waveform micropiles with higher stiffness showed a load-carrying capacity 1.7 to 3.2 times greater than that of conventional micropiles. These findings suggest that waveform micropiles can be effectively used for foundation reinforcement and reduce the risk of foundation failure when increased loads due to modifications such as expansion remodeling are expected.