Finite Element Analysis of Lateral Bearing Capacity for Pile in Spatially Variable Clay

Abstract

AbstractPile foundations are widely used in high-rise buildings, bridges, transmission towers, offshore platforms, and offshore wind power structures. In addition to bearing vertical loads, these structures also bear relatively large horizontal loads. Therefore, many scholars have carried out studies on the lateral bearing capacity of pile foundations. In these studies, the undrained shear strength is a deterministic parameter, which increases uniformly or linearly in the entire soil. However, other studies have shown that the lateral bearing capacity of piles may be overestimated if the spatial variability of the soil is not considered. Therefore, this paper will use the three-dimensional random finite element analysis method to study the lateral ultimate bearing capacity of the pile foundation in the spatially variable clay. Through the analysis, it is found that the random lateral ultimate bearing capacity obeys the log-normal distribution, and the relationship between the safety factor and the failure probability is established. The research results of this paper provide a basis for the safe design of the lateral bearing capacity of the pile foundation.KeywordsSpatial variabilityRandom finite element analysisLateral bearing capacity of pilePileFailure probability