EFFECTS OF MOISTURE CHANGES IN THE GROUND AND WOOD PILES NEAR THE GROUNDWATER ON GROUND CONDITIONS AND PULLOUT RESISTANCE

Abstract

 In recent years, wood has been increasingly used in the field of civil engineering from the viewpoint of contributing to the environment. Recently, it has been reported that the water absorption effect of wood piles promotes the effect of ground improvement. The authors conducted sounding tests, water content ratio and saturation measurements, pull-out tests, and wood moisture content measurements at the beginning and one year after the start of the tests. The results indicated that the ground below the water table approached saturation due to capillary action, resulting in a decrease in frictional resistance. The results also indicated that the lateral roughness of piles buried in ground with similar compaction and saturation affected the pullout load. In addition, the moisture content of wood that has absorbed groundwater by capillary action and the soil saturation showed similar trends at different depths, suggesting the possibility of approaching an equilibrium state while interacting with each other.