This paper presents the results of compression and tension load tests performed on a single helical pile installed in dense sand. The pile was instrumented using strain gauges that allowed the shaft and base load resistance to be separated and the distribution of shaft resistance along the pile during the test to be determined. The pile was loaded first in compression, with a maintained load test, followed by a constant rate of penetration load test being performed to assess the effects of creep on the pile’s response to compression loading. The pile was then loaded in tension using a maintained load test procedure. Finite element analyses were performed using Abaqus and these helped to provide additional insights to explain the response of the instrumented pile during loading. The test showed that during compression loading, substantial bearing pressures developed beneath the pile helix, which provided the majority of axial load resistance. During tension loading, uplift pressure mobilized on the helix again provided the majority of axial resistance. The strain gauges suggested that the pile load response to compression loading was ductile. During tension loading, the pile response was brittle. Whilst load tests performed on only one instrumented pile test are presented, the use of instrumentation and finite element analyses allowed important insights into the load–displacement response of helical piles.

A mesoscopic method based on the lattice Boltzmann method for thermal–solutal incompressible non-Newtonian power-law fluids through porous media is introduced. The macroscopic equations of different representative element volume (REV) models of porous media are presented, and the equations of power-law fluids through porous media for various REV models reported. The general mesoscopic model for two- and three-dimensional cases are presented, and their derivations shown. To demonstrate the ability of the proposed method, natural convection and double-diffusive natural convection of Newtonian and power-law fluids in porous cavities are studied, and the results are validated against previous findings. Finally, double-diffusive natural convection in a porous cubic cavity filled with a non-Newtonian power-law fluid is simulated by the proposed method.