The official recommendations in geotechnical engineering are according to Swedish practice to install inclined driven piles in order to resist external horizontal loads, which usually consist of windloads. These loads gets counteracted by utilizing the pile's axial load-bearing capacity, however when designing a foundation the use of inclined piles has proven to be problematic from a number of different perspectives. This has made both engineers as well as contractors long for a solution where the piles instead are allowed to be installed vertically, which could be made possible by utilizing the lateral bearing capacity of the pile which occurs in connection with lateral resistance during pile-soil interaction. The present day knowledge about such an engineering procedure in Sweden has proven to be limited and consists mainly of one governing document, namely report 101 published by the Commission on Pile Research. The aim of our study is to test and evaluate the method in report 101 based on a number of different load cases related to lateral load effects during pile-soil interaction. An analytical method reproduced from the Commission on Pile Research's report has been implemented with help of Mathcad, a computer software for reuse of mathematical calculations. Decisive parameters that distinguish the different load cases have included external load impact in pile head, mechanical strength properties of friction or cohesive soil, along with cross-sectional dimensions and reinforcement content of piles etc. The results differed significantly depending on the loadcase, a majority of the given answers were also perceived as unreliable and in a number of load cases the method also failed to obtain an analytical solution. Our conclusion is that it is doubtful whether the elastoplastic method presented in report 101 in the end in practice benefits the engineer tasked with designing, this stands in stark contrast to an increasing demand for easily accessible knowledge within its field. / Pålar i samband med grundläggning har sedan en tid tillbaka enligt svensk praxis installerats snedslagna, detta för att med hjälp av pålens axiella bärförmåga motstå yttre horisontell lastpåverkan till följd av exempelvis vindlaster. Att snedställa pålar har visat sig vara problematiskt ur ett flertal olika perspektiv, en lösning som både konstruktörer och entreprenörer efterlängtat är att pålarna istället tillåts installeras rakställda. Detta skulle vara möjligt genom att nyttja pålens transversella bärförmåga som uppstår i samband med sidomotstånd vid interaktion påle-jord. Kunskap kring ett sådant dimensioneringsförfarande i Sverige idag har visat sig vara begränsad och till stor del bestå av ett styrande dokument, nämligen rapport 101 utgiven av Pålkommissionen. I denna studie har en analytisk handberäkningsmetod som återges ur Pålkommissionens rapport implementerats i beräkningsprogrammet Mathcad, detta i syfte att testa och utvärdera metoden utifrån ett flertal olika belastningsfall relaterade till transversell lastpåverkan vid interaktion påle-jord. Avgörande parametrar som skiljt de olika belastningsfallen åt har bl.a. utgjorts av hållfasthetsegenskaper hos friktion- eller kohesionsjord, tvärsnittsdimensioner och armeringsinnehåll hos påle, yttre lastpåverkan i påltopp. Resultaten skiljde sig åt markant beroende på typ av belastningsfall där en majoritet av svaren upplevdes som icke tillförlitliga och till ett flertal olika fall, utifrån vårt försök till implementering, klarade metoden heller inte av att erhålla någon analytisk lösning. Vi finner det därför svårt att tro att den elastoplastiska metoden som återges i rapport 101 i slutändan kommer till någon direkt praktisk nytta, vilket står i tvär kontrast mot ett uppenbart behov där lättillgänglig kunskap inom området efterfrågas.

Le travail présent est axé sur la simulation numérique et l'analyse de l'interaction des ondes de surface de Rayleigh avec des barrières sismiques verticales (murs souterrains, écrans, tranchées, etc.) ainsi que des champs de pieux dans des modèles de matériaux mécaniques élastiques et plastiques linéaires. Le but de la recherche est d'estimer le degré de protection que les barrières verticales et les champs de pieux fournissent contre les vibrations transférées par les ondes de surface de Rayleigh et générées par diverses sources. L'idée principale de ce type de protection est d'éviter que les ondes sismiques ne transmettent l'énergie des vagues dans la zone protégée, diminuant les amplitudes de déplacements, les vitesses et les accélérations aux points situés derrière la barrière (champ de pieux). Les principaux complexes sans dimension sont formulés. L'attention est portée sur les ondes de Rayleigh car elles peuvent être générées à la fois par des sources de vibrations externes (situées à la surface de la Terre) et internes (situées sous la surface de la Terre) et ses ondes peuvent transmettre une portion significative de l’énergie de source de la vibration.Premièrement, des simulations numériques de l'interaction des ondes de Rayleigh avec les barrières sismiques verticales et les champs de pieux sont effectuées en supposant que le sol et les matériaux de barrière se comportent conformément à la loi de comportement linéaire élastique. Cela concerne les vibrations qui induisent des contraintes de cisaillement dans le sol n'excédant pas 0.00001 lors de leur propagation. Les principaux complexes sans dimension sont formulés sur cette base. Des paramètres géométriques et mécaniques de la barrière (champ de pieux) déterminant l'effet de réduction de vibration sont identifiés. Les résultats obtenus révèlent la validité de cette onde de protection contre les vibrations. En outre, l’approche de l’optimisation de la barrière sismique verticale (qui peut également être étendue au champ de pieux) est adoptée sous forme de différences finies pour des conditions de sol particulières et une fréquence de vibration de conception.Plusieurs modèles de comportement du sol sont analysés et leur validité, ainsi que l'applicabilité à l'approximation du comportement dynamique réel du sol, ainsi que le mécanisme de dissipation d'énergie des vibrations, sont identifiés. Sur la base de cette analyse, modèle de Mohr-Coulomb a été choisie car elle dispose d’une base de données expérimentale étendue pour divers sols et reflète de manière appropriée la réduction du module de cisaillement avec l’augmentation de la contrainte de cisaillement ainsi que les effets de dissipation d’énergie. Par la suite, ce modèle est utilisé dans l'analyse de l'interaction des ondes de Rayleigh avec les barrières verticales et les champs de pieux, en tenant compte du caractère non linéaire de la déformation du sol à différents niveaux de déformation de cisaillement. En conséquence, l'influence du niveau de contrainte de cisaillement sur l'efficacité des moyens de protection contre les vibrations considérés est démontrée et les conditions appropriées pour utiliser ces méthodes sont identifiées dans le cadre de cette recherche. / The present work is focused on numerical simulation (FEM) and analysis of surface Rayleigh wave interaction with vertical seismic barriers (underground walls, screens, trenches, etc.) as well as pile fields within the framework of linear elastic and plastic mechanical material models. The aim of the research is to estimate the degree of protection that vertical barriers and pile fields provide against vibrations transferred by surface Rayleigh waves and generated by various sources. The main idea behind this type of protection is to prevent seismic waves form transmitting wave energy into the protected zone, decreasing the amplitude of displacements, velocities and accelerations at the points behind the barrier (pile field). The attention is paid to Rayleigh waves as they can be generated by both external (located on the Earth's surface) and internal (located beneath the Earth's surface) vibration sources and this type of waves can transfer a significant portion of vibration source energy.First, numerical simulations of Rayleigh wave interaction with vertical seismic barriers and pile fields are performed assuming the soil and barrier materials to behave according to the linearly-elastic constitutive law. This regards the vibrations that induce shear strains in the soil not exceeding 0.00001 during their propagation. Based on this, the principal dimensionless complexes are formulated. Geometrical along with mechanical parameters of the barrier (pile field), that determine vibration reduction effect, are identified. The obtained results reveal the validity of this way of vibration protection. In addition to that, the approach towards vertical seismic barrier optimization (which can also be extended to the pile field) is adopted in finite difference form to use for particular soil conditions and design vibration frequency.Several models of soil behaviour are analysed and their validity as well the applicability to approximate real dynamic soil behaviour along with the mechanism of vibration energy dissipation are identified. Based on this analysis, Mohr-Coulomb constitutive model is selected as it has a broad experimental database for various soils and appropriately reflects shear modulus reduction with an increase in the shear strain as well as energy dissipation effects. Afterwards, this model is used in the analysis of Rayleigh wave interaction with the vertical barriers and pile fields accounting for non-linear character of soil deformation at different shear strain level. As a results, the influence of shear strain level on the effectiveness of the considered ways of vibration protections is shown and the appropriate conditions to use these methods are identified within the scope of this research.

Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht mit elektromyographischen und biomechanischen Methoden lokale muskuläre Ermüdung und die damit verbundenen Veränderungen in der Kinematik und Kinetik eines ausbelastenden Hebetests. Hierzu wurde der PILE-Test (Mayer et al., 1988) verwendet, der als Diagnostikverfahren in der Rehabilitation von Personen mit Rückenbeschwerden eingesetzt wird. In den letzten Jahren sind mathematische Verfahren entwickelt worden, um spektralanalytische Untersuchungen dynamischer Muskelkontraktionen durchführen zu können. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde einer dieser Ansätze im Rahmen eines Softwarepakets umgesetzt. Er beruht auf der Verwendung der ''Smooth-Pseudo-Wigner-Ville-Verteilung'', einer biquadratischen Transformation der Cohen-Klasse. Das Verfahren zeichnet sich durch eine hohe Zeit- und Frequenzauflösung aus. Die spektralanalytische Untersuchung von sechs bewegungsrelevanten Muskeln während des Hebetests zeigte für die 22 männlichen Sportstudierenden signifikante Verringerungen der Medianfrequenz lediglich für die Signale der Rumpfstrecker (M. erector spinae, M. gluteus maximus). Dies konnte für die Signale des Kniestreckers (M. vastus lateralis) nicht beobachtet werden. Diese Ergebnisse korrespondieren mit den kinematischen Änderungen im Verlauf der Testdurchführung. Zwischen der Frequenzänderung des M. erector spinae vom Startintervall (geringe Last) zum Schlussintervall (hohe Last) und der Verringerung der Bewegungsamplitude der Rumpfextension wurde eine signifikante Korrelation festgestellt. Aufgrund der daraus ableitbaren Insuffizienz des M. erector spinae kommt es in der Initialphase der Hebung, in der die maximalen Bodenreaktionskräfte auftreten, für nahezu die Hälfte der Probanden zu einem Absenken des Rumpfes. Da dieses Verhalten mit einer erhöhten Belastung im Bereich der lumbalen Wirbelsäule assoziiert wird, sollte die Bewegungsausführung während des PILE-Tests kontrolliert werden, um Gesundheitsrisiken zu vermeiden. / Electromyographic and biomechanical methods were used to investigate localized muscle fatigue and changes in the kinematics during an exhausting lifting test. For this purpose the ''Progressive Isoinertial Lifting Evaluation'' (PILE) was utilized, which was published by Mayer (1988) as a method to quantify the lifting capacity of people with spinal disorders. Fatigue-related changes in the electromyographic signals of trunk and limb muscles were evaluated and compared to kinematic measures in order to determine whether fatigue influences motor behavior during the lifting test. Recent advances in the methodology of time-frequency analysis for electro- myographic signal processing provide a new way of studying localized muscle fatigue during dynamic contractions. One of these approaches was used to develop an algorithm for the analysis of highly dynamic muscle contractions. It is based on the ''smooth-pseudo-Wigner-Ville-distribution'', a biquadratic transformation of the Cohen class. The method is characterized by a high time and frequency resolution. Twenty-two male physical education students performed the lumbar PILE-test. During the lifting task, the median frequency significantly decreased over time in the trunk extensor muscles (erector spinae, gluteus maximus) but not in the limb muscles (vastus lateralis, gastrocnemius). This corresponds to changes in the kinematic. In the initial lifting phase, the range of motion of the knee joint increased from low to high loads, while the range of motion of the trunk decreased. Half of the subjects reached almost complete knee extension while the trunk was still in maximum flexion when lifting heavy loads. The change of median frequency of the erector spinae is significantly correlated with the reduction of trunk extension. These biomechanical changes are associated with increased peak torque at the lumbar spine. Therefore it is recommended to monitor the lifting technique during the PILE-Test to avoid health risks.

Esta pesquisa discorre a respeito do comportamento estrutural de blocos de concreto armado sobre cinco estacas, dispostas nos vértices de um trapézio, e sobre seis estacas, com o arranjo retangular, considerado pilar com força centrada. Foram estudados diversos métodos analíticos para o dimensionamento dos blocos, no intuito de avaliar a compatibilidade entre o comportamento dos blocos e as hipóteses de cada método. Foi desenvolvida análise numérica tridimensional utilizando programa baseado no método dos elementos finitos. Nos blocos estudados variou-se a deformabilidade do solo de apoio das estacas, por meio de molas elásticas, a seção transversal do pilar, considerando pilar quadrado e pilar retangular, as alturas dos blocos sobre estacas e a resistência do concreto. A configuração do fluxo de tensões, vista em perspectiva, indicou a formação de bielas comprimidas discretas ligando o pilar ao topo das estacas. Observou-se que quanto mais deformável for o solo, mais uniformes são as distribuições das reações entre as estacas e das tensões de tração nas barras das armaduras principais. Verificou-se que as configurações das bielas mudaram conforme se alterou a seção transversal do pilar, indicando a importância de se considerar esse aspecto no dimensionamento analítico dos blocos. A altura influenciou de maneira significativa na rigidez e na resistência dos blocos. No entanto, os blocos com grandes alturas não apresentaram bom comportamento estrutural e os blocos com pequenas alturas não indicaram boa distribuição das reações nas estacas, com as tensões de tração se concentrando entre as barras das armaduras entre as estacas mais próximas do pilar. Observou-se que o aumento da resistência do concreto acarretou no aumento da resistência dos blocos, porém não influenciou na rigidez de modo significativo. Os métodos analíticos que se baseiam nas verificações das resistências a momento fletor e à força cortante não foram compatíveis com o fluxo de tensões obtido, que por sua vez indicou melhor compatibilidade com o método de bielas e tirantes. Por fim, foi possível verificar a aplicabilidade de um método analítico, já existente, que emprega conceitos do método de bielas e tirantes, é simples e de fácil utilização para o dimensionamento de blocos sobre cinco e seis estacas. Esse método considera a altura dos blocos por meio do ângulo de inclinação das bielas, a variação da seção transversal do pilar e diferentes arranjos para as estacas. / This research treats about the structural behavior of reinforced concrete pile caps with five piles arranged at the trapezium vertices and with six piles in rectangular arrangement, considering centered load at column. Several analytical methods were studied for pile caps design in order to assess the compatibility between the pile caps behavior and assumptions of each method. A three-dimensional numerical analysis was developed using program based on finite element method. In pile caps studied, the deformability of soil of support piles were varied, through elastic springs, the column cross section, considering square and rectangular column, the pile caps height and the concrete resistances. The flow stress configuration, visualized in perspective, indicated the formation of discrete compressed struts connecting the column base to the piles top. It was observed that the more deformable is the soil, better uniforms are the reactions distribution between the piles and tensile stresses in the main reinforcement bars. It was found that the struts settings changed with the variation of the cross section column, indicating the importance of this variable in the analytical pile caps design. The height of the pile caps significantly affects the stiffness and strength. However, the higher pile caps did not show good structural behavior and the smaller pile cap indicated poor reactions distribution in piles, with tensile stresses concentrated among the bars reinforcement between the piles closest to the column. It was observed that the increasing in the concrete strength resulted in a higher pile caps resistance, but did not influence the stiffness significantly. The analytical methods, which are based on the resistance verification of bending moment and shear force, are not compatible with the tension flow obtained, which indicated better compatibility with the strut and tie method. Finally, it was possible to verify the applicability of a well known analytical method which uses concepts of strut and tie method, which is simple and easy to apply for five and six pile caps. This method considers the height by means of the inclination angle of struts, the column cross section variation and different piles arrangements.

Rapid growth in population along with positive trends in global economy over the past several decades has significantly contributed to an increased demand for various infrastructure needs worldwide. For this reason, the focus of this thesis has been directed towards extending the mechanics of unsaturated soils, which is an emerging geotechnical engineering field to investigate the behavior of two key infrastructure systems, namely pile foundations and energy pipeline systems. The mechanism of soil-pile foundations and soil-pipeline systems interaction behavior has several similarities. Both these infrastructure facilities require comprehensive understanding of the soil-structure interaction mechanism. Reliable estimation of mechanical properties of both the soil and the soil-structure interface is required for the rational interpretation the load-displacement behavior of pile foundations and pipeline systems. Currently, the design of systems is predominantly based on design codes and guidelines that use empirical procedures or employ the principles of saturated soil mechanics. In many scenarios, pile foundations extend either totally or partly in unsaturated soils as the groundwater table level in many regions is at a greater depth. Such scenarios are commonly encountered in semi-arid and arid regions of the world. In addition, pipeline systems are typically buried at shallow depths in unsaturated soil strata, which are susceptible to wetting and drying, freezing and thawing cycles or both, due to seasonal environmental changes. Capillary stress or matric suction in the unsaturated zone increases the effective stress contribution towards the shear strength and stiffness of soil and soil-structure interface. Extending saturated soil mechanics to design or analyze such structures may lead to erroneous estimation of pile foundation carrying capacity or loads transferred on pipeline body from the surrounding unsaturated soil. Experimental, analytical and numerical investigations were undertaken to study the behavior of single pile, pile group, and pipeline systems in saturated and unsaturated sands under static loading. The experimental program includes 40 single model pile and 2×2 pile group, and six prototype pipeline tests under saturated and unsaturated condition. The results of the experimental studies suggest that matric suction has significant contribution towards the mechanical behavior of both pile foundation and pipeline system. The axial load carrying capacity of single pile and pile group increased approximately 2 to 2.5 times and the settlement reduced significantly compared to saturated condition. The influence of matric suction towards a single pile is significantly different in comparison to pile group behavior. The cumulative influence of matric suction and stress overlap of pile group behavior in sandy soils result in erroneous estimation of pile group capacity, if principles of saturated soil mechanics are extended. Group action plays major role in changing the moisture regime under the pile group leading to incompatible stress state condition in comparison to single pile behavior. On the other hand, the peak axial load on the pipe is almost 2.5 folds greater in unsaturated sand that undergoes much less displacement in comparison to saturated condition. Such an increase in the external axial forces may jeopardize the integrity of energy pipeline systems and requires careful reevaluation of existing design models extending the principles of unsaturated soil mechanics. Two analytical design models to estimate the axial force exerted on pipeline body were proposed. The proposed models take account of matric suction effect and soil dilatancy and provide smooth transition from unsaturated to saturated condition. These models were developed since measurement of the unsaturated soil and interface shear strength and stiffness properties need extensive equipment that require services of trained professional, which are expensive and time consuming. The models utilize the saturated soil shear strength parameters and soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) to predict the mechanical behavior of the structure in saturated and unsaturated cohesionless soils. The prototype pipeline experimental results were used to verify the proposed models. The predicted axial force on pipeline using the proposed models agrees well with the measured behavior under both saturated and unsaturated conditions. Moreover, numerical techniques were proposed to investigate the behavior of pile foundation and pipeline system in saturated and unsaturated sand. The proposed methodology can be used with different commercially available software programs. Two finite element analysis programs were used in this study; namely, PLAXIS 2D (2012) to simulate soil-pile foundation behavior and SIGMA/W (2012) to simulate soil-pipeline system behavior. The proposed techniques require the information of unsaturated shear strength and stiffness, which can be derived from saturated soil properties and the SWCC. The model was verified using pile and pipeline test results from this study and other research studies from the published literature. There is a good agreement between the measured behavior and the predicted behavior for both the saturated and unsaturated conditions. The methodology was further extended to investigate the behavior of rigid and flexible pipelines buried in Indian Head till (IHT) during nearby soil excavation activity. The simulation results suggest that excavation can be extended safely without excessive deformation to several meters without the need for supporting system under unsaturated condition. The studies summarized in the thesis provide evidence that the principles of saturated soil mechanics underestimate the pile foundations carrying capacity as well as the axial force exerted on pipelines in unsaturated soils. Such approaches lead to both uneconomical pile foundation and unsafe pipeline systems designs. For this reason, the pile and pile group carrying capacity and pipeline axial force should be estimated taking into account the influence of matric suction as well as the dilatancy of the compacted sand. The experimental studies, testing techniques along with the analyses of test results and the proposed analytical and numerical models are useful for better understanding the pile foundation and buried pipeline behaviors under both saturated and unsaturated conditions. The proposed analytical and finite element models are promising for applying the mechanics of unsaturated soils into conventional geotechnical engineering practice using simple methods.

Dans cette thèse nous étudions différents systèmes dynamiques discrets permettant de simuler la formation des piles de sable. Le comportement des modèles de base SPM ou IPM(k) est bien connu dans des conditions initiales spécifiques. Nous étendons ces résultats à des conditions initiales plus générales, et nous introduisons le modèle SSPM qui ajoute de la symétrie à ces modèles et améliore leur réalisme. Dans un second temps, nous étudions un autre système dynamique, les automates de sable. Ils sont définis de manière analogue aux automates cellulaires, avec la contrainte supplémentaire qu'uneconfiguration n'admet pas de « trous ». Ces automates peuvent simuler tous les modèles de piles de sable définis localement, et à l'aide d'un cadre mathématique solide, ils permettent d'obtenir des résultats plus généraux. Nous nous intéressons à la dynamique des automates de sable, plus précisément aux propriétés de réversibilité d'un automate, et nous étudions la décidabilité de propriétés caractérisant les piles de sable classiques : conservation des grains et périodicité ultime.

Esta pesquisa discorre a respeito do comportamento estrutural de blocos de concreto armado sobre cinco estacas, dispostas nos vértices de um trapézio, e sobre seis estacas, com o arranjo retangular, considerado pilar com força centrada. Foram estudados diversos métodos analíticos para o dimensionamento dos blocos, no intuito de avaliar a compatibilidade entre o comportamento dos blocos e as hipóteses de cada método. Foi desenvolvida análise numérica tridimensional utilizando programa baseado no método dos elementos finitos. Nos blocos estudados variou-se a deformabilidade do solo de apoio das estacas, por meio de molas elásticas, a seção transversal do pilar, considerando pilar quadrado e pilar retangular, as alturas dos blocos sobre estacas e a resistência do concreto. A configuração do fluxo de tensões, vista em perspectiva, indicou a formação de bielas comprimidas discretas ligando o pilar ao topo das estacas. Observou-se que quanto mais deformável for o solo, mais uniformes são as distribuições das reações entre as estacas e das tensões de tração nas barras das armaduras principais. Verificou-se que as configurações das bielas mudaram conforme se alterou a seção transversal do pilar, indicando a importância de se considerar esse aspecto no dimensionamento analítico dos blocos. A altura influenciou de maneira significativa na rigidez e na resistência dos blocos. No entanto, os blocos com grandes alturas não apresentaram bom comportamento estrutural e os blocos com pequenas alturas não indicaram boa distribuição das reações nas estacas, com as tensões de tração se concentrando entre as barras das armaduras entre as estacas mais próximas do pilar. Observou-se que o aumento da resistência do concreto acarretou no aumento da resistência dos blocos, porém não influenciou na rigidez de modo significativo. Os métodos analíticos que se baseiam nas verificações das resistências a momento fletor e à força cortante não foram compatíveis com o fluxo de tensões obtido, que por sua vez indicou melhor compatibilidade com o método de bielas e tirantes. Por fim, foi possível verificar a aplicabilidade de um método analítico, já existente, que emprega conceitos do método de bielas e tirantes, é simples e de fácil utilização para o dimensionamento de blocos sobre cinco e seis estacas. Esse método considera a altura dos blocos por meio do ângulo de inclinação das bielas, a variação da seção transversal do pilar e diferentes arranjos para as estacas. / This research treats about the structural behavior of reinforced concrete pile caps with five piles arranged at the trapezium vertices and with six piles in rectangular arrangement, considering centered load at column. Several analytical methods were studied for pile caps design in order to assess the compatibility between the pile caps behavior and assumptions of each method. A three-dimensional numerical analysis was developed using program based on finite element method. In pile caps studied, the deformability of soil of support piles were varied, through elastic springs, the column cross section, considering square and rectangular column, the pile caps height and the concrete resistances. The flow stress configuration, visualized in perspective, indicated the formation of discrete compressed struts connecting the column base to the piles top. It was observed that the more deformable is the soil, better uniforms are the reactions distribution between the piles and tensile stresses in the main reinforcement bars. It was found that the struts settings changed with the variation of the cross section column, indicating the importance of this variable in the analytical pile caps design. The height of the pile caps significantly affects the stiffness and strength. However, the higher pile caps did not show good structural behavior and the smaller pile cap indicated poor reactions distribution in piles, with tensile stresses concentrated among the bars reinforcement between the piles closest to the column. It was observed that the increasing in the concrete strength resulted in a higher pile caps resistance, but did not influence the stiffness significantly. The analytical methods, which are based on the resistance verification of bending moment and shear force, are not compatible with the tension flow obtained, which indicated better compatibility with the strut and tie method. Finally, it was possible to verify the applicability of a well known analytical method which uses concepts of strut and tie method, which is simple and easy to apply for five and six pile caps. This method considers the height by means of the inclination angle of struts, the column cross section variation and different piles arrangements.

Cette thèse contribue à l'identification des mécanismes de dégradation qui ont lieu durant les phases de démarrage et d'arrêt des Piles à Combustible à Membrane Échangeuse de Proton. Dans un premier temps, des démarrages et arrêts individuels sont étudiés au moyen d'une cellule équipée de collecteurs de courants segmentés. Les courants internes qui sont produits durant ces opérations peuvent ainsi être mesurés. La mesure du dioxide de carbone dans les gaz d'échappement de la cathode révèle qu'une partie des courants internes correspond à de l'oxydation du carbone. Une autre part provient des réactions (réversibles ou non) d'oxydoréduction impliquant du platine. L'hétérogénéité des dégradations subies par la pile entre l'entrée et la sortie de la cathode est mise en évidence lors de protocoles de vieillissement répétant des démarrages et arrêts. Des analyses post-mortem révèlent un autre niveau d'hétérogénéité, qui concerne également le carbone, entre les dents et les canaux. De ces expériences, il ressort également que les dégradations sont plus importantes lorsque les gaz sont injectés à faible vitesse dans le compartiment anodique mais aussi quand de l'air est utilisé à la place de l'azote pour arrêter la pile. L'influence des caractéristiques de la MEA sur l'intensité des dégradations est aussi étudié. Un chargement en platine élevé à l'anode ou des électrodes avec des surfaces de carbone actif élevées accélèrent la chute des performances électriques. Au contraire accroitre le chargement en platine à la cathode limite ces pertes. Enfin, des simulations numériques des phases de démarrage complètent les résultats expérimentaux. L'oxydation réversible du platine est notamment identifiée comme étant responsable d'une part importante des courants internes / This works contributes to the identification of the various degradation mechanisms in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell during start-up and shut-down operations. Single start-ups and shut-downs are first analysed using a cell with segmented cathode current collectors. Thus, internal currents which occur during these operations can be measured. Carbon dioxide measured in the cathode exhaust gas reveals that they result partially from carbon oxidation. Another contribution is the reversible or non reversible redox reactions involving platinum. The heterogeneity of the non reversible platinum oxidation between the inlet and outlet of the cathode is evidenced by the in-situ monitoring of the Electrochemical Surface Area during long-term start-up and shut-down aging protocols. Post-mortem analysis reveals another level of heterogeneity, which concerns also carbon oxidation, between land and channel. From these experiments, it appears also that degradations are more important when gases are injected with a low velocity in the anode compartment and when air is used instead of nitrogen to flush the anode compartment during shut-down. The influence of the MEA characteristics on the extent of the degradation observed during these aging protocols is also analyzed. High platinum loading in the anode and high surface carbon electrodes accelerate the drop of the electrical performances, while increasing the cathode platinum loading limits their decay. Finally, numerical simulations of start-ups complete the experimental results. Reversible platinum oxidation was found to be one of the main contribution to the internal currents

Scour is a process of removing soils around foundations by currents and waves. For the pile-supported marine structures such as the monopile-supported offshore wind turbines (OWTs) and the pile-supported bridges, scour can decrease the pile capacities and alter the dynamic responses of the structures. At present, there is not a widely accepted method to estimate pile axial or lateral capacity under scoured conditions. For example, different recommendations are used among the existing design standards for estimation of the vertical effective stress and the resulting capacities for single piles under different scour conditions. None of the existing standards or design practice has even considered the scour effects on the behavior of pile groups. Furthermore, the investigation into the responses of piles under multiple hazards of scour and earthquakes is rarely reported. To address the foregoing limitations, this study first introduces an analytical solution to determining the vertical effective stress of soils around single isolated piles under scoured conditions and uses it to examine the limitations of the existing standards in estimation of pile tensile capacity (Chapter 1). The effect of soil-pile interface friction is highlighted. Next, the study proposes new approaches to investigating the combined effects of scour and earthquakes on the lateral responses of the monopile-supported OWTs in sand (Chapter 2) and soft clay (Chapter 3). Lastly, simple and practical methods are developed based on the p-y curve framework for analyzing the lateral responses of pile groups in sand (Chapter 4) and soft clay (Chapter 5) subjected to static lateral loading. The proposed methods in this study were encoded into a series of open-source computer scripts for engineering practice. They were verified with the 3D continuum finite element (FE) analyses. Using the proposed methods, standard methods, and 3D FE method, parametric analyses were conducted to investigate the scour effects on the lateral behavior of the monopile-supported OWTs under crustal earthquakes and that of the pile groups under static loading. The factors considered in the parametric study included effects of scour-hole dimensions, soil stress history, soil density, soil-pile interface behavior, soil liquefaction potential, pile group configurations, etc. Through the parametric analyses, the standard methods were critically assessed by comparing the results to those calculated by the proposed methods and 3D FE methods, and some design-related issues were also discussed. / Graduate

The thesis is focused on the reconnstruction of the "Old Bridge“ in Bratislava. Part of the reconstruction is the foundations of a new pier and redevelopment of an existing pier. The introduction provides an overview of methods used for the foundations within the river and from there onwards, the most suitable method haas been selected. The piers foundation is designed in several variants, coupled with the drawings. In conclusion, the variants were compared and the most suitable one was selected.