Centrifuge modelling of rigid piles in soft clay

Monopiles have so far been extensively used as foundation solutions for renewable energy, with the most popular being offshore wind developments. The current design practice of monopiles subjected to lateral loading has been widely questioned, because of the lack of empirical data. The objective of this study is to employ centrifuge modelling in order to derive experimental p-y curves for rigid piles embedded in over-consolidated soft clay. A kaolin clay sample was prepared and pre-consolidated by applying a constant pressure at the soil surface, while different over-consolidation ratios were achieved within the clay sample by carrying out the experiments at different g fields. The findings suggest that the normalised shape of the p-y curves can be predicted within a sufficient accuracy using the current methodology but that the ultimate lat-eral resistance is underestimated at shallow depths and overestimated at greater depths.