The slenderness ratio effect on the response of closed-end pipe piles in liquefied and non-liquefied soil layers under coupled static-seismic loading

Abstract

Abstract This study presents the findings of a 3D finite element modeling on the performance of a single pile under various slenderness ratios (25, 50, 75, 100). These percentages were assigned to cover the most commonly configuration used in such kind of piles. The effect of the soil condition (dry and saturated) on the pile response was also investigated. The pile was modeled as a linear elastic, the surrounded dry soil layers were simulated by adopting a modified Mohr-Coulomb model, and the saturated soil layers were simulated by the modified UBCSAND model. The soil-pile interaction was represented by interface elements with a reduction factor (R) of 0.6 in the loose sand layer and 0.7 in the dense sand layer. The study was compared with the findings of 1g shaking table tests which were performed with a slenderness ratio of 25. In the validation case, there was a clear correlation between the laboratory findings and the numerical analyses. It was observed that the failure mechanism is influenced by the soil condition and the slenderness ratio to some extent. Under the dry soil condition, no base pile deformation was observed; However, tip pile movement was observed under the saturated soil condition with pile slenderness ratios of 25 and 50. The findings of this study are also aimed to include an approximation of the long-term deformations at the ground surface which has experienced shaking.