Three-dimensional analyses of concrete piles in clayey soils

Abstract

The behaviour of solid circular concrete piles in clayey soils under a combination of lateral and vertical loading was investigated by numerical analysis. Piles with different lengths were considered, and ultimate lateral bearing capacity was calculated. The model was verified on the basis of data obtained from a previously published full-scale pile load test. The effect of axial loading on the ultimate lateral bearing capacity has been previously investigated in only a few studies. In this paper, particular attention was devoted to the influence of axial loading on lateral bearing capacity. In addition, a comparison between Flac three-dimensional results and both Allpile and Broms approaches was performed.