Abstract: There are many mature methods to detect the bearing capacity of single pile, but for high-piled wharf piles, as they are parts of high-piled wharf, and complex structures are built on them, at this stage, for these non-free end piles, there are no effective and feasible bearing capacity detection methods. In this paper, regional heap load method to detect high-piled wharf piles capacity is proposed, and this method doesn’t destroy the original structure. The high-piled wharf piles capacity prototype testing is carried out, and the deformation displacement of while high-piled wharf, the displacement of piles, and the strain of structural elements are tested under grading loads. Also the numerical model is established to analysis the bearing capacity of high-piled wharf piles, and the numerical model is corrected by the experimental results, then the whole prototype test process is simulated using the modified mathematical model. The comparison between the numerical results and the experiment data shows a satisfactory agreement. Through comprehensive analysis, the vertical bearing capacity of high-piled wharf piles is finally determined as 1 400 kN, which could ensure the safety of the high-piled wharf, and the study results could provide experimental basis for the design of the wharf.

Key words: high-piled wharf piles, bearing capacity test, prototype test, numerical analysis, strain test, settlement test