Numerical Investigation of the Effect of Vertical Load on the Lateral capacity of Pile in layered Soil

Abstract

The piles in general are designed for vertical and lateral loads acting simultaneously on them. According to the literature, the effects of vertical loads are not so clear on the lateral behaviour of piles due to the scarcity of investigations. In this paper, an attempt has been made to study the effects of vertical loading on the lateral response of a single vertical pile by conducting a series of threedimensional finite element analyses in Plaxis 3D. The pile was modelled with a linearly elastic material whereas the soil using Mohr-Coulomb constitutive framework. It is seen that for vertical loads larger than 75% of the vertical capacity, both the lateral load and bending moment capacities are reduced. It is observed from analysis result that, for the pile with L/D = 12, the application of vertical load of 75% and 100% reduces the lateral response by 3.3% and 7.2%, respectively, while for an L/D of 30, the application of vertical loading is seen to increase the lateral capacity slightly. The most important result coming out from the interpretation is that a three-dimensional, completelength finite element analysis is necessary to obtain an appropriate evaluation of the coupled vertical and lateral loading on the lateral response of the piles. This study will prove to be helpful in developing a better insight into the behavior of single pile foundations and will go a long way in assisting the design and analysis of such a structure.