Constructing offshore wind turbines on artificial islands is considered a viable option, but negative skin friction (NSF) is a significant adverse factor that cannot be ignored. The NSF adversely affects the bearing capacity of pile foundations. Currently, design methods for studying the impact of NSF group effects mainly rely on empirical approaches. Moreover, existing experimental studies do not simulate the NSF experienced by offshore wind turbine pile groups on artificial islands. In order to further explore the impact of pile group effects on NSF experienced by offshore wind turbine pile foundations on artificial islands, this study conducted indoor model tests on single piles and 3 × 3 rectangular pile groups in sandy soil under uniformly distributed loading on surrounding soil. The experiment measured the settlement of piles at various positions within single piles and rectangular pile groups, as well as the settlement of the soil surrounding the piles and the NSF. Through calculations, the experiment determined the neutral points and NSF group effect coefficients for each pile. The results indicate that densely spaced pile groups are advantageous in reducing settlement of the surrounding soil, thereby mitigating the adverse effects of NSF. Due to the influence of pile group effects, different positions within the group experience varying degrees of NSF. Consequently, in practical engineering applications, settlement of both the pile groups and the surrounding soil should be calculated separately. Furthermore, design considerations for the uplift forces and neutral points of piles at different positions within the pile group should adhere to distinct standards.
The stiffened deep cement mixing (SDCM) pile, as a new type of rigid–flexible composite pile, significantly enhances the vertical bearing capacity of traditional precast piles, thus holding broad application prospects in the substructure construction of nearshore bridges and marine energy structures. This paper investigates the vertical dynamic response of SDCM piles through theoretical derivation and parameter analysis. Firstly, based on elastic dynamics theory and the three-phase porous media model, vertical vibration control equations for both SDCM piles and fractional-order viscoelastic unsaturated soils are established. Secondly, theoretical derivations yield exact analytical solutions for the surrounding dynamic impedance, top dynamic stiffness, and dynamic damping of the SDCM pile. Finally, through numerical examples and parameter studies, the impact mechanisms of physical parameters in the SDCM pile–unsaturated soil dynamic coupling system on the top dynamic stiffness and dynamic damping of the SDCM pile are analyzed. The research results presented in this paper indicate that reducing the radius of the rigid core pile while increasing the thickness of the exterior pile has a positive effect on enhancing its vibration resistance. Additionally, increasing the length of SDCM piles contributes to improved vibration performance. However, an increase in the elastic modulus of the cement–soil exterior pile is detrimental to the vibration resistance of the rigid composite pile. On the other hand, an increase in the elastic modulus of the concrete core pile only enhances its ability to resist vibration under low-frequency load excitation. Furthermore, enlarging the soil saturation, decreasing the intrinsic permeability, and enlarging the soil relaxation shear modulus have a significant positive impact on improving the vibration resistance of SDCM piles. In contrast, changes in porosity have a negligible effect on the ability to resist vertical vibrations of SDCM piles.