Analysis of Interaction inside the pile group subjected to arbitrary horizontal loading

Abstract

The analysis of pile groups subjected to horizontal loading in one of two orthogonal directions is a common problem in geotechnical engineering. However, the above analysis should sometimes be extended with the additional cases of horizontal loading, in arbitrary direction. Although the full scale experiments can provide the best insight into the above problem, they are expensive and therefore not feasible solution. Instead, numerical (i.e. fi nite element) analysis usually remains the ultimate tool for large scope studies. The main objective of this research is the improvement of the analysis methodology of pile group for the case of arbitrary static horizontal loading. Its influence is investigated numerically to check for the existence of the "critical" pile group con figurations and soil conditions, that may lead to the failure of the foundation structure and superstructure itself. To reach the above objective, apriori sensitivity analysis of the considered problem and identifi cation of the main problem parameters are conducted in the first phase. After that, series of complex 3D numerical models for laterally loaded pile group analysis have been generated using PLAXIS 3D. Model validation is done by the back-calculation of available experimental results. Parametric study of pile groups with various con figurations under arbitrary horizontal loading is performed, with an emphasis on pile force distribution, bending response and pile group efficiency. Modelling and simulation processes and the optimization of the calculation time were improved using the originally developed codes in Python. The use of multiple computers was allowed by using the author's scripts developed within the thesis. The above research resulted in thousands of numerical simulations, whose findings provided the improved design methodology of pile groups under arbitrary static horizontal loading.