A study on numerical analysis of laterally loaded piles

Abstract

The problem of laterally loaded piles is encountered frequently, particularly in the design of waterfront and offshore structures. A procedure for the numerical solution of lateral deflection of piles under various soil conditions are developed.The procedure treats the nonlinear elastoplastic behaviour of the soil, and two particular boundary conditions namely fixed and free headed piles. Criteria are presented for developing soil reaction-pile deflection curves (p-y curves) along the pile. A general computer program is developed which would give numerical solutions of lateral deflection, slope of elastic curve, bending moment and shear force along the pile. A number of computations is made for a hollow steel pile installed into a clay and sand subsoil. Effects of nonlinear soil behaviour are studied by changing the magnitude of lateral load. In addition effects of various soil parameters such as, strain at failure-E 50 and lateral soil reaction coefficient-m are numerically evaluated and the results are critically discussed.