Effect of fluctuating water level on piles embedded in soft clay slopes

Foundations in coastal structures are subject to geomorphological and hydrological changes which can result in serviceability issues. This research studies the effect of repetitive water level changes on a soft clay slope. Centrifuge model studies were carried to study the soil movements and pore pressures within a slope subject to fluctuating water level changes. Results shows that piles and pile groups at different locations along the slope experiences bending moments and pile head movements. A fully coupled flow deformation model is presented which is used to back analyse centrifuge results and can be used to analyse such complex problems.