Thermally induced ratcheting of a thermo-active reinforced concrete pile in sand under sustained lateral load

Thermally induced ratcheting of a thermo-active pile is the accumulation net and irreversible head displacement upon heating–cooling cycles. Although this kind phenomenon has been observed in vertically loaded piles sand, it unknown whether exists laterally cases, also what underlying mechanisms occur under thermomechanical flexural soil–pile interaction. This study presents series centrifuge tests finite-element simulations behaviour sand. A new model reinforced concrete (RC) was used to mimic thermal mechanical properties prototype RC realistically. Ratcheting evident its extent more significant when working horizontal load higher. The attributed soil plastic strain due cyclic loading by expansion contraction, dilation interface shearing creep. additional bending moment action did not induce yielding within pile. subsequent numerical sensitivity suggested that ignoring softening sand would lead underestimation magnitude accumulative thermally lateral displacement.