Proceedings of The Fifteenth (2005) International Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference

Seoul, Korea, June 19−24, 2005

Copyright © 2005 by The International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers
ISBN 1-880653-64-8 (Set); ISSN 1098-6189 (Set)

Study on the Visualization of Soil Turbulence Surrounding the Model Pile Using Thermography
Mauricio Jun Arai, Mamoru Fujii, Yoshihiro Hashimoto
Department of Architecture and Building of Engineering, Tokai University
Hiratsuka, Kanagawa, Japan

ABSTRACT used to investigate the strength distribution or the deformation of the

The use of a screw pile in building foundations results in turbulence in
the surrounding of the pile. The actual area of soil turbulence cannot be
easily evaluated due to the difficulty in accessing the area beneath the
surface. It has been found that the bearing capacity of the pile was
affected by the shear stress of soil under the tip of the pile. The area
influenced is decided only on the basis of estimation from the results of
load tests. This article proposes a method of visualization using
thermography suitable for the evaluation of possible construction
methods of pile and ground improvement.
KEY WORDS: Thermography; temperature; screw pile; bearing
capacity; sand; clay; hardness test
INTRODUCTION
In the field of bearing capacity of the pile, there are many views about
layer. In addition, a vertical load was applied on the head of the pile,
which engender a penetration to a certain depth and projected the
condition of the ground at the tip of the pile by thermography.
This paper summarizes the production method of these artificial
grounds and introduces the evaluation method of the image by
thermography accompanying the penetration of the pile.
THERMOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT
The thermography equipment used in this investigation is based on the
principle shown in Fig. 1. The infrared camera catches the heat emitted
from a test object (section of the model ground) with an infrared
detection vessel, a computer processes this temperature information and
visualizes it as a temperature distribution on a monitor screen.
Infrared Camera
Optical System

the destruction of the tip of the pile. However, these views are mostly Infared
Monitor
presumed from the result of analysis or theories based on the result of Specimen detection
load test. For example, with the bored precast pile, the tip bearing machine Computer
capacity should be small as compared with the driven pile. It is Controller Output
understood that the cause is the slack in the ground, but how the ground
is loosening remain unknown. If loosening or tightening of the Fig.1 Thermography system
condition in the ground were directly visible, much more information
such as the destruction of the ground accompanying the penetration of a The measurement condition is shown in Fig. 2 and the specifications of
pile can be acquired. A visualization method is considered the most the equipment used are reported in Table 1.
suitable for addressing this problem. Originally, the visualization
method was the investigation technique used in the field of fluid
engineering and was seldom known in the field of geotechnical
engineering which until now, used phenolphthalein to evaluate the
soundness of the ground improvement (Oozeki et al., 2001) or the
coloring sand as the visualization method (Fujii et al., 1999; Komatsu
et al., 2000). Now, the temperature is considered as the most
appropriate parameter for visualization. The distribution of temperature
appeared as the best condition on the screen when an artificial ground
composed of siliceous sand and Kasaoka clay at a weight ratio of 7:3
and a water content of 7% is set. The penetration of the screw pile was
performed on this artificial ground as the soil turbulence surrounding
the pile is been observed. The hardness tester and coloring sand are Fig. 2 Thermography system

454
Table 1. Specification of thermography equipment 100

Passage mass percentage (%) .

Item Contents
80
Number of optical 240 to the perpendicular view of a heat
scanning lines picture
60
Decomposition
capability of 300 or more 40
horizontal picture

View angle 30°(H) × 28°(V) 20 Siliceous Sand No.7

Camera
Focal length 16cm ~ ∞ of whole camera part surfaces Kasaoka Clay
L range 1.2 ~ 5.6µm. M, H range 3.6 ~ 4µm 0
Detection
(H2 O, CO2 gas penetration wave length 0.0001 0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100
wavelenght region
belt) Grain Size (mm）
Fig. 3 Grain size distribution curve
Temperature -40 ~ 2000℃（automatic change of a three-
measurement range step range)
Penetration Speed of Screw Pile and Soil Turbulence of
Number of optical 240 to the perpendicular view of a heat Ground
scanning lines picture
Number of display The penetration equipment in Fig. 4 (left) has a structure where the
512(H) × 240(V) motor (rotation part) is attached to the axis of rotation, it can move up
pixels
and down. A thrust (pushing power) is applied in the depth direction
Non-interlaced TV framedisplay by
Controller Display form like an actual pile driver. Moreover, this equipment serves as a
digitalized data memory built in
mechanism, which measures the thrust in a local cell and can also
o o o
View angle is displayed by 30 , 25 , 20 , measure torque. The screw pile used is shown in Fig. 4 (right). The
Zoom Function o
15 , 5
o diameter of the shaft is 48.7mm, the diameter of the wing is 72.8mm,
the pitch of the wing is 13.7mm and the height of the digging edge of
1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 20, 30, 50, 70, 100, 200, 300,
Temperature range the wing is 18.2mm. The model ground vessel is made of steel. Its
500, 700 15 step swtching
diameter is 260mm and its height is 500mm. This vessel is made of two
parts and serves as the mechanism where the ground can be cut
EXPERIMENT METHOD perpendicularly after the installation of the pile. Based on the
experiment result of i), a mixture of siliceous sand No.7 and Kasaoka
The experiment is conducted following the three successive steps: clay at a ratio of 7:3 with a water content adjusted to 7% was used.
i) Grain size composition of the sand and clay for artificial ground 1150
preparation
ii) Penetration speed of screw pile and soil turbulence of ground
iii) The stress transfer distribution at the tip of screw pile. Pile rotary
Guide Load
Pile Rise motor
and fall
i) In order to determine the most suitable mixture for making this model motor
Load Cell
ground, mixtures of siliceous sand No.7 and Kasaoka clay at different
Vertical rise

ratio were prepared. ii) Four different penetration speed of the screw
(800Movable)

Rotation
pile were applied and investigated whether soil turbulence surrounding
and fall

48.7mm
part
the pile accompanying penetration could be visualized by thermograhy. Torque
1200

iii) The screw pile was inserted to a certain depth were penetration was meter
possible, and an ultimate load applied on the pile head under this
condition. Then the verification of whether the stress transfer domain of Screw
the ground from the tip of pile could be visualized by thermography Pile
performed.
Data
Grain Size Composition of the Sand and Clay for Artificial Logger
Ground Preparation
13.7mm
1000

260
Nine specimens of different mixing ratio (9:1, 8:2, 7:3, 6:4, 5:5, 4:6, 3:7, 18.2mm
500

Vessel
2:8, 1:9) of siliceous sand No.7 and Kasaoka clay were prepared for 72.8mm
testing and their water content adjusted to 7%. Each sample was packed Unit：mm
into a φ50mm×100mm (height) mold, fastened and compacted. A load
pressure of 0.5N/mm2 was applied on the upper part. Then one side of
the mold was removed, half of a section scrapped off, and the
temperature distribution on the field measured by thermography. The
grain size distribution curve of siliceous sand No.7 and Kasaoka clay Fig. 4 Penetration equipment (left) and the screw pile (right)
are shown in Fig. 3
The grain size distribution curve of this artificial mixture is shown in
Fig. 5.

455
 100
80
Passage mass percentage (%) .

80 20

60 80

40
20

20
80

0 20
0.0001 0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100
Grain Size (mm）
80
Fig. 5 Grain size distribution curve of 7:3 (sand: clay) ratio
20
The artificial ground was produced as follows:

First, the ground sample was divided into five layers, put into the tub of 80
the model, and ten blows were added, fastened and hardened using Unit.: mm
wooden hammer for each class. The dry density after compaction was
1.02t/m3. The pile was inserted at four different penetration speed (45, Fig. 7 The hardness examination by hardness tester (left) and the
90, 270 and 450mm/min.) into the ground in this condition. Each position of a red layer position measurement situation (right)
penetration speed is expressed as a penetration quantity, and will be
adjusted according to the figures in Table 2. After inserting the pile, The Stress Transfer Distribution at the Tip of Screw Pile
one side of the wall of the mold was removed, pushed down
horizontally and half of the ground was removed. Using the same artificial foundation as in experiment ii), the ground
was fastened and hardened to a density of 1.3t/m3, then the penetration
Table 2 Penetration speed and penetration quantity per rotation of the screw pile (shown in Fig. 4(right)) was carried out to a depth of
Penetration Speed (mm/min) 45 90 270 450 250mm at a penetration speed of 90mm/min. Finally, the ultimate load
was applied to the pile head as shown in Fig. 8. The temperature
Penetration quantity per rotation distribution of the cutting plane was, here also, expressed by
1.125 2.25 6.75 11.25
(mm) thermograhy as in ii).
Load (kN)
As shown in Fig. 6 (cutting plane), the infrared camera was used to
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0
measure the temperature distribution of the cutting plane by
thermography. 0.0

Ultimate load

3.0
.
Settlement (mm)

6.0

9.0

Fig. 6 Measurement situation by thermography

Then, as shown in Fig. 7 (left), the hardness tester was push against the
intersection of 20mm mesh and the hardness of the ground was 12.0
investigated. Furthermore, a red colored layer was placed at every
80mm interval as shown in Fig. 7 (right). Fig .8 Load × settlement curve

456
EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS AND CONSIDERATIONS
Grain Size Composition of the Sand and Clay for Artificial
Ground Preparation
Fig. 9 shows the distribution condition of the temperature by
thermography of the section of the soil samples of different siliceous
sand and Kasaoka clay mixing ratio. The portions showing the highest
temperature are reflected by the dark triangular areas in the upper and
lower sections. On the other hand, the portions with the lowest
temperature can be seen in red colored areas in both sides. The triangle
portion is a compressed area and the compressed moisture can be seen
moving to the side. Thus, the side serves as the area of tension.
9:1 8:2 7:3
6:4 5:5 4:6
3:7 2:8 1:9
Fig. 9 A temperature distribution of the soil sample by the various
kinds of mixture ratios (sand : clay proportion)
Fig. 9 reveals that when the artificial ground is a composite of sand and
clay at a mixing ratio of 7:3, a compressed area and an area of tension
457
has appeared vividly. When the ratio sand/clay is 9:1, the area of
tension is small since there is little movement of moisture. On the other
hand, when the ratio sand/clay is 4:6, the area of tension will be
projected vividly from the compressed area. The case where the ratio of
sand and clay is 7:3 is considered to be the state where the transfer of
stress and movement of moisture is well balanced.
Penetration Speed of Screw Pile and Soil Turbulence of
Ground
Fig. 10 (a) ~ (d) shows the hardness distribution by the hardness tester
for each penetration speed, the changes in the colored layer, and the
temperature distribution by thermography. Before the penetration of the
pile, the penetration force of the ground measured with the hardness
tester was 5~10N. Fig. 10 (left) shows that the penetration force of the
ground surrounding the pile increased to 55~60N when penetration
speed of 45mm/min and 90mm/min was applied during the experiment.
However, when penetration speed of 270mm/min and 450mm/min are
used, the results show that the penetration dropped to 3N and the
perimeter of the ground become clearly disturbed. This is also clear
from the change in the colored layer as shown in Fig. 10 (middle).
According to the thermography of Fig. 10 (right), before the penetration
of the pile, the temperature was about 1ºC, when the penetration of the
pile was carried out it rose to around 2ºC. This demonstrates that the
area of temperature distribution changes with the penetration speed of
the pile.
It is believed that the raise in the temperature is due to the frictional
heat between grains, the friction of the wing and the soil where the
grains move in connection with the penetration of the pile, and are
generated with the movement. It is also believed that the Fig. 10 (a) (b)
in which the temperature rise range is narrow is where the impelling
force of a wing is acting. The image showing that the temperature rise
range has appeared more widely, as shown in Fig. 10 (d), depict the
moment when the pile was pressed fit compulsorily according to the
pushing power from a drive machine.
(a) Penetration Speed: 45mm/min
(b) Penetration Speed: 90mm/min

(c) Penetration Speed: 270mm/min
(d) Penetration Speed: 450mm/min
Fig. 10 Results of hardness distribution (left), change of a coloring
layer (middle) and thermography (right)
The Stress Transfer Distribution at the Tip of Screw Pile
Fig. 11 (left) depicts the temperature distribution by thermography
under the state where ultimate load was made to act on the screw pile
and Fig. 11 (right) shows the strength distribution by the hardness tester.
While, from a hardness tester only digital information is acquired,
thermography shows the stress transfer distribution in details as analog.
Further information can be gained when both examinations are used
together.
2
Unit.: N/mm
0.39-0.52
0.26-0.39
0.13-0.26
0-0.13
Fig. 11 The temperature distribution of screw pile under ultimate load
(left) and the strength distribution by hardness tester (right)
For reference, hardness tester’s values and values of the temperature by
458
thermography in the intersection are shown in Table 3.
Table 3 Hardness tester’s value and temperature variation
2
Hardness tester's value ( N/ mm ) Temperature (Δ℃)
0.15 0.0 ~ 0.5
0.30 0.5 ~ 0.8
0.40 0.8 ~ 1.0
According to Fig. 11 (right) temperature distribution appears especially
high in the domain directly under a wing. The length of the vertical
directions is equivalent to a part for the diameter of a wing. It is aimed
at N value of the ground of the domain, which is experimentally
equivalent to the diameter of a wing when calculating the tip bearing
capacity of screw pile. Thermography has corroborated this finding.
CONCLUSION
The conclusion drawn from this study is summarized as follows:
- The mixing ratio of the sand and clay in which the temperature
distribution by thermography appears most clearly is 7:3.
- The soil turbulence of the area surrounding the pile during the
penetration of a pile can be caught by thermography. If a colored layer
and a hardness tester are used, this condition can be caught more
accurately.
- The transfer distribution domain of the stress of the tip of pile
generated by making ultimate load act on the head of screw pile can be
clearly detected by thermography.
Therefore, it become possible to clearly observe the transfer
distribution domain of soil turbulence of surrounding pile or stress,
which did not come out of the guessed region until now, by the
thermography method proposed in this paper.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This research was supported by Daido Concrete Industries and Nippon
Steel Corporation
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