Abstract: This paper presents extensive and accurate dynamic parameters testing results on model piles by using a large shake table device. The model tests were performed on model pile foundations with exposed and buried pile caps under vertical, lateral and torsional loads by using forced vibration method. The testing results indicated that the compressive, shear and torsional stiffness, damping ratio in various directions and total mass in vibration of single pile with a buried pile cap are obviously higher than that with exposed pile cap. The test data also showed that the soil surrounding the model pile is also involved in the vibration and the mass would affect the foundation stiffness, but the soil mass could be neglected in the dynamic parameter analysis. The role of soil surrounding the pile is also important to the mass and elastic damping system in the seismic vibration reduction by using shaking table.

Key words: large shaking table, pile dynamic parameter testing, forced vibration tests, compressive stiffness, damping ratio, total mass in vibration