Unveiling the Fatigue Behavior of Lateral Piles with Open Cross-Sections in Cohesive Soils

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Abstract
The majority of structures supporting solar panels are founded on thin-walled metal piles driven into the ground to optimize costs and construction timelines. These pile foundations are subjected to repetitive lateral loads from various external forces, such as wind, which can compromise the in-tegrity of the pile-soil system. Given that the proper functioning of photovoltaic solar plants is typically expected for 20-30 years, predicting their useful life under fatigue loading becomes crucial. This research investigates the lateral load response of a single pile subjected to different fatigue loads in stiff cohesive soils. Additionally, the effect of loading cycles on the degradation of pile-soil ad-hesion is studied through pull-out field tests. This study reveals that soil fatigue does not occur under repetitive loading, and the soil’s stiffness remains constant once the cycles causing soil compaction have been overcome. Nevertheless, the soil's accumulated plastic deflection steadily increases once soil compaction due to cyclic loading occurs. The implications of these results on the fatigue life of photovoltaic solar panel foundations are discussed.
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