Abstract:For the first time, a bionic root pile imitating mammalian lower jaw molars is proposed, based on the principle of biomimicry and combined with the characteristics of high bearing capacity of mammalian mandibular molars. The bearing performance of bionic root piles and the extrusion effect of sinking piles differ from the conventional conical or flat bottom piles with circular bottom sections. In conjunction with a combination of numerical methods and model experiments are used to explore their bearing characteristics and the role of piles-soil in the pile sinking process. First, the discrete element method (DEM) was adopted for numerical simulation, and it was discovered that the bionic tooth root pile can significantly enhance the bearing capacity of the pile bottom, but was prone to causing soil stress concentration. As for the model test, the particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique based on the transparent soil model test was implemented, and the pile loading instrument and CCD high-speed industrial camera were used to continuously capture the scattered field generated by the pile peri-pile soil under the linear laser during the pile loading process, and the velocity and displacement field of the soil mass were obtained. Ordinary conical piles and bionic root piles were subjected to immersion tests, with the results indicating that the bearing capacity of bionic root piles on vertical loads was greater than double that of ordinary conical piles, and that the dragging effect of the pile body and the displacement of vertical soil at the bottom of the pile were more pronounced. Furthermore, when the concave at the pile's center was not excessively large, the transverse displacement of the soil was minimal.