Simulation of Pile-Soil interaction using finite element theory in the case of laterally loaded pile

Abstract

When a pile foundation is subjected to lateral loading, the interaction between the pile and the soil significantly affects the lateral displacement and bending moment of the pile. Interaction models are established based on the subsoil parameters, crosssectional shape, size, and material of the pile. In this paper, the author presents an analysis of laterally loaded pile problem using the "p-y curve" soil model to simulate the nonlinear pile-soil interaction using the finite element theory. In this model, the pile element is modeled as a continuous beam on a linear elastic foundation, while the soil is modeled as a nonlinear elastic material. The results show that the lateral displacement and bending moment of the pile from the proposed model are in good agreement with the calculations from the TCVN 10304:2014 standard, and depend on the subsoil parameters, pile properties, and the applied loads.

Keywords: Modeling; Lateral load; Pile-soil interaction; p-y curves