The new type of rock-socketed DX pile is formed by setting bearing plates in the highly weathered rock stratum and resting the pile tip on the surface of moderately weathered rock stratum

which fully mobilizes the bearing capacity of highly weathered stratum and the tip resistance is mobilized at the early stage. It has advantages of high bearing capacity

small displacement

cost-saving and short contract period compared with the conventional rock-socketed straight pile

and become widely used in foundation engineering in Guangdong and Guangxi due to the economic benefits. However

field static load tests were difficult to reach the limitation of rock-socketed DX piles

and the exploration to the bearing mechanism was inadequate. Based on the stock yard of steel project in Fangchenggang

model tests of three groups of eighteen piles were conducted in order to investigate the load transfer behavior and bearing mechanism. The results showed that :（1） The Q s curves of rock-socketed DX pile presented a gradual failure process.（2） The bearing capacity of rock-socketed DX pile was 118%—130% higher than the rock-socketed straight pile under the same condition

when socket depth of straight pile increased

the bearing capacity of DX pile was still 56%—64% more than the straight pile.（3）The load sharing ratios of the single bearing plate and pile tip reached 30%—33% and 14% —16 % of the applied load separately

and the value changed when regional failure occurred in the rock mass beneath the bearing plate. The load sharing ratio of the bearing plate decreased to20 %—22 % of the applied load while the loading sharing ratio of pile tip increased to 36 %—38 %of the applied load

which were in accordance with the filed static load tests.