Numerical Study on Uplift Capacity of Helical Pile Embedded in Clay-Video

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Video Summary

Karthik presents an experimental and numerical study of the uplift capacity of helical piles in clay, examining helix diameter, spacing, and thickness. Helical piles are useful in soft, expansive, or unstable soils and for structures exposed to uplift, offering quick installation and minimal soil disturbance, though corrosion and torque limits are important constraints.<br /><br />A model pile was tested in clay and the results were validated using FLAC3D; numerical predictions differed from experiments by less than 10%. Parametric analyses found that increasing helix diameter from 250 mm to 375 mm raised uplift capacity by about 20%, while plate thicknesses of 6–10 mm produced similar capacities. Helix spacing strongly affected resistance: capacity increased up to a critical spacing, then declined as the failure mode shifted from cylindrical shear to individual bearing. For the tested conditions, this transition occurred around 1.5 m spacing for 250 mm helices and 2 m for 375 mm helices. A double-helix pile at 1.5 m spacing performed comparably to a single helix.

Keywords

helical piles

uplift capacity

clay soil

helix diameter

FLAC3D validation