Annular shaped pile groups are a very common foundation layout for onshore wind turbines and other slender structures. In this study, their performance under vertical loads of moderate to high eccentricity, including moment rotation response and bearing capacity, was investigated by centrifuge testing on small scale physical models embedded in kaolin clay. To identify experimentally the capacity of the examined pile groups under different load paths, the model foundations were loaded monotonically until a clear collapse mechanism was achieved. The testing procedure and the proposed interpretation methodology can be easily adapted to load paths or pile layouts other than those considered in the current study. The experimental data can be adopted as a useful benchmark for mathematical models aimed at predicting the response of pile groups to complex load paths. The results of this testing program can also be used to assess the degree of conservatism of current methods adopted by industry for the design of piled foundations subjected to eccentric loads.

环形桩组是陆上风力涡轮机和其他细长结构的非常常见的基础布局。在这项研究中，通过在嵌入高岭土的小规模物理模型上进行离心测试，研究了它们在中等偏心率到高偏心率的垂直载荷下的性能，包括力矩旋转响应和承载能力。为了通过实验确定在不同载荷路径下被检查桩组的承载能力，将模型基础单调加载，直到获得清晰的坍塌机制为止。除了当前研究中考虑的方法外，测试程序和建议的解释方法可以轻松地适应荷载路径或桩的布置。实验数据可以用作数学模型的有用基准，该数学模型旨在预测桩组对复杂荷载路径的响应。该测试程序的结果还可以用于评估工业上用于承受偏心荷载的桩基设计的当前方法的保守程度。