Failure Envelopes for Circular Piles in Clays under Combined Horizontal Load and Moment

Abstract

This research presents failure envelopes for circular piles in clays subjected to combined horizontal load and moment. A three-dimensional finite element analysis was conducted to determine the solution for this problem, considering the depth and width of the circular piles. For finite element analyses, the circular pile was modeled as a volume element with rigid material, while the clay was modeled using Tresca material in an undrained condition. Soil-structure interfaces were modeled with no tension. The failure envelopes of circular piles in clay under combined horizontal load and moment are presented in terms of normalized parameters of horizontal load and moment. The result of this study found that the ratio between depth and width of circular piles affects the character and failure of the envelope of circular piles in clays.