Dynamic Soil–Pile Interaction Using the DSC Constitutive Model

Abstract

Analyses of independent piles tests are conducted using nonlinear finite element approach with DSC constitutive model to assess the capability of the models to predict the dynamic soil-structure interaction behavior. Instrumented axially loaded pile test at Sabine, Texas (Earth Technology Corporation, 1986) and full-scale laterally loaded pile test at Seal Beach, California (Ertec Western Inc. in Full-scale pile vibration tests, 1981) are analyzed using the finite element program DSC-DYN2D. A modified constitutive model is developed and used, and is based on the unified disturbed state concept (DSC) (Desai in Mechanics of materials and interfaces: the disturbed state concept, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2001); both soils and interfaces are modeled using the DSC, and the parameters are determined from laboratory triaxial tests on soils and special shear tests on interfaces. Field tests results are compared with those from finite element analyses for both without and with interface behavior cases. Based on the results of this research, it can be stated that the finite element-DSC model simulation allows realistic prediction of complex dynamic soil–pile interaction problems, and is capable of characterizing behavior of saturated soils and interfaces involving liquefaction.