Effect of Edge Distance from the Slope Crest on the Response of a Laterally Loaded Pile in Sloping Ground

Abstract

Compared to the field tests, the numerical modelling is an economical way to analyze the response of laterally loaded piles in sloping grounds. This paper presents a three-dimensional finite element analysis to investigate the effect of edge distance from the slope crest of a laterally loaded pile embedded in the sloping ground for different slope angles and pile lengths. The results show that the pile top displacement and the bending moment in the pile decrease with an increase in the edge distance, whereas they increase as the slope angle is increased. The response of the pile in sloping ground is compared with its response in the level ground. The comparison is used to develop a simple methodology for estimating the pile top displacement and the maximum bending moment for any edge distance from the slope crest considering their values for level ground.