Pile-supported embankment model test device and method under the action of rainfall and dry-wet cycle

Inventors: Kangyu Wang (Hangzhou, CN); Jiahuan Ye (Hangzhou, CN); Ziliang Qiu (Hangzhou, CN); Qunchao Ma (Hangzhou, CN); Xinlong Zhou (Hangzhou, CN); Kangze He (Hangzhou, CN)

G01M99/008

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12674726
App. No.: 18/389,839
Granted: Jul 7, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A pile-supported embankment model test device and method under an action of rainfall and dry-wet cycle comprises a unit model box system with adjustable model box height, a vertical reinforcement system of a model box unit block, a transverse reinforcement system of the model box unit block, a rainfall control device, and a drying system combined with voltage control and resistance wire height control; wherein the vertical reinforcement system of the model box unit block and the transverse reinforcement system of the model box unit block reinforce the unit model box system vertically and horizontally; through the rainfall control pipe and rainfall control valve of the rainfall control device, the rainwater conveying pipe can be watered at the same time to simulate rainfall. The device simulates the natural environment rainfall and drying process to study the working behavior of pile-supported embankment under the action of rainfall and dry-wet cycle.

Claims (72)

1 . A pile-supported embankment model test device under an action of rainfall and dry-wet cycle, comprising:

an unit model box system comprises an unit body of model box, an unit body tenon, an unit body tenon groove, and a bottom plate of model box; wherein the unit body of model box is located on side edges of the bottom plate of model box, and is spliced up layer by layer to form the unit model box system; water swelling rubber is set in the unit body tenon groove; the unit body tenon groove is located below the unit body tenon, and the unit body tenon and the unit body tenon groove are tenoned;

a vertical reinforcement system of model box unit block comprises a first welded steel and a first pair of pull steel bars; the first welded steel is welded at top and bottom of two sides of a plate of the unit model box system respectively, and the first welded steel is provided with a first hole; the first pair of pull steel bars passes through the first hole; a first thread is set at both ends of the first pair of pull steel bars; a first nut is installed on the first thread;

a transverse reinforcement system of model box unit block comprises a second welded steel and a second pair of pull steel bars; the second welded steel is welded on left and right sides of plates on both sides of the unit model box system; the second welded steel is provided with a second hole; the second pair of pull steel bars passes through the second hole, a second thread is set at both ends of the second pair of pull steel bars, a second nut is installed on the second thread;

a rainfall control device, comprising a rainfall control pipe, a rainwater conveying pipe, a pressure gauge, an inlet valve, and an inlet pipe; the inlet pipe is connected to a water tank; the pressure gauge and the inlet valve are installed on the inlet pipe; the rainfall control pipe is set in the inlet pipe, a side of the rainfall control pipe is connected with the rainfall control valve; and

a drying system, comprising a fixed beam, a resistance wire, a safety box, a voltage control device, a telescopic pole, and a fixed pole; a third thread is set in a bottom of the fixed pole, the fixed pole is connected with the unit model box system through the third thread, the fixed pole is evenly set with connecting holes from top to bottom; a third hole is arranged on a bottom of the telescopic pole, after the third hole is aligned with the connecting holes, it is connected by connecting bolts; a top of the telescopic pole is detachably connected with the fixed beam; the resistance wire is evenly arranged at a bottom of the fixed beam, the safety box is installed outside the resistance wire, and the resistance wire is connected with the voltage control device.

2 . The pile-supported embankment model test device under the action of rainfall and dry-wet cycle according to claim 1 , wherein a side of the unit model box system is provided with drainage systems, wherein each of the drainage systems comprises a drainage valve, a drainage pipe, and a geotextile; and the drainage valve is installed on the drainage pipe.

3 . The pile-supported embankment model test device under the action of rainfall and dry-wet cycle according to claim 2 , wherein a number of the drainage systems is greater than or equal to 2, and one drainage system of the drainage systems is located at a bottom of a side of the unit model box system, and remaining drainage systems are located at different heights on the side of the unit model box system.

4 . The pile-supported embankment model test device under the action of rainfall and dry-wet cycle according to claim 1 , wherein a moving system is arranged at a bottom of the model box bottom plate, the moving system comprises a roller baffle, a fixed hole, and a roller; the roller is installed on the roller baffle, and the fixed hole is located in a center of the roller baffle.

5 . The pile-supported embankment model test device under the action of rainfall and dry-wet cycle according to claim 1 , wherein an inlet channel is set inside the inlet pipe, a rainwater conveying channel is set inside the rainwater conveying pipe, when the rainfall control valve is opened, the water inlet channel is connected with the rainwater conveying channel; when the rainfall control valve is closed, the water inlet channel is disconnected from the rainwater conveying channel.

6 . The pile-supported embankment model test device under the action of rainfall and dry-wet cycle according to claim 5 , wherein rainfall holes are uniformly arranged at a bottom of the rainwater conveying pipe; an installation thread is arranged at a connection between each of the rainfall holes and the rainwater conveying pipe to realize a detachable connection between each of the rainfall holes and the rainwater conveying pipe.

7 . A test method using the pile-supported embankment model test device under the action of rainfall and dry-wet cycle according to claim 1 , comprising following steps:

s1. a pile body is evenly arranged in the bottom plate of model box, and a pile strain gauge is evenly arranged on both sides of the pile body;

s2. based on the bottom plate of model box, the unit body of model box is installed, foundation soft soil or subgrade soil is filled in an enclosed space, and a TDR probe sensor, an earth pressure box, and a pore water pressure sensor are arranged;

s3. after the subgrade soil, the foundation soft soil, and various sensors are arranged, water is injected from a drainage system set at a bottom of a side of the unit model box system to simulate a groundwater level of the foundation soft soil in a model box;

s4. after groundwater is injected and stood for a period of time, the inlet valve of the rainfall control device is opened and a rainfall intensity is controlled according to the pressure gauge, and then the rainfall control valve is opened to realize a simultaneous drainage of each rainfall hole to simulate a rainfall process;

s5. after a simulation of the rainfall process and a period of time, when rainwater infiltrates into the foundation soft soil and reaches a water level condition of a test, data of a test process are collected and recorded by various sensors embedded in the foundation soft soil;

s6. opening a drainage system of the unit model box system, discharging water in the foundation soft soil, and adjusting a height of the telescopic pole, using the voltage control device to provide voltage for the resistance wire to dry the foundation soft soil, and using a dehumidifier to adjust humidity in the unit model box system; and

s7. after the humidity in the foundation soft soil reaches requirements set by the test, various sensors embedded in the foundation soft soil are used to collect and record the data of the test process, and data recorded before and after drainage are compared and analyzed.

8 . The test method according to claim 7 , wherein arrangement of the TDR probe sensor, the earth pressure box, and the pore water pressure sensor described in step s2 is as follows: the earth pressure box is evenly buried every 5 cm in the subgrade soil above a pile cap and soil between pile bodies; the pore water pressure sensor is uniformly buried every 10 cm along a height of the subgrade soil; three rows of TDR probe sensors are buried along a slope direction of an embankment slope; displacement sensors are uniformly embedded at a top of a surface layer and a top of an embankment filling every 10 cm; the earth pressure box and the pore water pressure sensor are buried every 10 cm in the soil between pile bodies, connecting each measuring element with a data acquisition instrument and reading data collected by each measuring element.

9 . The test method according to claim 7 , wherein control of rainfall intensity according to the pressure gauge described in step s4 is as follows: adjusting the inlet valve according to the pressure gauge to adjust a water pressure, and adjusting a size of a rainfall hole according to required rainfall intensity and rainfall rate.

10 . The test method according to claim 7 , wherein in step s6, the height of the telescopic pole and the voltage applied to the resistance wire need to be tested before the foundation soft soil is dried.

11 . A test method using the pile-supported embankment model test device under the action of rainfall and dry-wet cycle according to claim 2 , comprising following steps:

s1. a plurality of pile bodies are evenly arranged in the bottom plate of model box, and a pile strain gauge is evenly arranged on both sides of each pile body;

s3. after the subgrade soil, the foundation soft soil, and various sensors are arranged, water is injected from the drainage systems set at a bottom of the side of the unit model box system to simulate a groundwater level of the foundation soft soil in a model box;

and