Laterally Loaded Pile in Layered Soil by Finite Element Analysis

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of the lateraly loaded piles in layered soil using the finite element method. The study is done by creating a 3D model of the free head long piles in layers of soil with a lateral load in order to study the behavior of lateral load on the pile and the lateral displacement. The soil layers are specified into two cases, the upper layer is sand and the bottom layer is clay (Sand-Clay case) and in the opposite way the upper layer is clay and the bottom is sand (Clay-Sand case). The ratios of the pile length embedded in upper layer and bottom layer (L_u/L_b) are 1, 2, 3, and 4. The unit weight of both clay and sand is 19.5 kN/m³.  The modulus of elasticity is 30 MPa.

      The preliminary results of the study, in which the ratio of piles length embedded in upper layer and bottom layer is equal to 1 (L_u/L_b = 1), show that the elastic modulus of soil is the main factor for the lateral displacement of the pile. From the initial that the ratio of elastic modulus of the upper soil and the bottom layer (E_S1/E_S2) is equal to 1, and then vary to 2, 3, and the highest at 4. It has been observed that when the modulus of elasticity of the upper soil is higher than the bottom soil, the lateral displacement of the pile head tends to decrease. It means that the type of upper soil has no effect to the lateral displacement either it is sand or clay.  If the top soil has a higher value of modulus of elasticity than the bottom soil, the lateral movement at the head of the pile tends to decrease and results in a higher lateral load capacity.