Interface test-based load transfer curves to predict the response of offshore piles subjected to drained pull-out

This study develops a shaft load-transfer curve formulation to predict the response of offshore piles to pull-out. The functional form is the second-order conical equation recently proposed within the PISA framework for laterally loaded piles. A procedure to identify the constants of the approach is proposed which employs the unified CPT method to determine the ultimate conditions, and results of interface tests to describe the pile monotonic response prior to failure. The formulation is devised and validated using the data of an experimental campaign on model piles, field tests and results of two-dimensional finite element analyses. The load-transfer curves are intended for piles supporting wind turbines on jackets in intermediate and deep waters, but their application can also be extended to anchor piles.