Experimental Study of Hollow Fibre Reinforced Polymer Piles in Soft Clay

In this thesis, a research program aimed at investigating the performance of fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs) piles in soft clays is presented. FRP materials have experienced a surge in interest during the recent decades due to their favorable properties such as resistance to corrosion and degradation in comparison to steel and concrete particularly in harsh or contaminated soil conditions such as waterfront applications. The results of this experimental program indicate that for all of the FRP pile interfaces tested the interface shear strength is higher or at least on par with steel pile interfaces. The findings presented in this work show that the FRP piles are a viable alternative to steel piles. Further studies in the form of full scale pile load tests are needed in order to corroborate the results presented herein.