Design of laterally loaded pile‐columns considering SSI effects: Strengths and weaknesses of 3D, 2D, and 1D nonlinear analysis

Abstract

AbstractThe type of analysis used to design laterally loaded piles or pile‐columns seems often selected with criteria related more to the analyst's background than to the type of problem. Most of the time, the adopted approach is not rigorous because the response of the soil‐pile system is evaluated without considering the mutual influence that structural inelasticity has on soil plasticity and vice‐versa. This article has two main objectives: (i) to underline the role of the structural and soil plasticity within the nonlinear analysis of the soil‐pile system as a whole, also highlighting the Soil‐Structure‐Interaction (SSI) effects, and (ii) to propose a framework for the rational selection of the most suitable approach in relation to the design phase (eg, tender offer, basic design, detailed design). The cast‐in‐drilled‐hole (CIDH) reinforced concrete pile‐column system, in which the distinction between structural and geotechnical engineering duties is less obvious, has been selected as a case study. The study compares the results of several approaches, using full‐scale experimental data as benchmark. The results have been obtained with different software programs, commonly used by geotechnical and structural engineers. Particular attention has been dedicated to investigate the reliability of the analysis in relation to the level of complexity of the model (eg, 3D, 2D, and 1D).