Effects of Nonliquefiable Crust on the Seismic Behavior of Pile Foundations in Liquefiable Soils

Abstract

AbstractPile foundations located in liquefiable soil deposits are vulnerable to liquefaction-induced damage during earthquakes. The constraint conditions of both the pile head and pile tip are vital for the dynamic response of a pile. In this paper, a validated three-dimensional finite element model, where a PressureDependMultiYield constitute model based on multisurface plasticity theory is utilized for soil, is established to study the seismic behavior of a single pile foundation in liquefiable ground with variable nonliquefiable crust thicknesses. The effects of the properties of the nonliquefiable crust and pile head fixity on the dynamic behavior are investigated. Analysis shows that the existence of a nonliquefiable crust significantly affects the behavior of end-bearing piles and floating piles. The effect of a pile head constraint varies with the properties of the nonliquefiable crust.KeywordsPile foundationLiquefactionNonliquefiable crustPile head constraint