Influence of Inclined Loads on the Behaviour of Piles—A Numerical Study

Abstract

Pile foundations are often subjected to a combined vertical and horizontal loads resulting in inclined loading conditions. The presence of inclined load results in a complex soil-pile interaction. A three-dimensional finite element analysis has been conducted in this study using PLAXIS 3D software on pile foundations under inclined loading conditions. The reliability of available soil model in PLAXIS 3D is validated by comparing the experimental load–deflection response of single pile under lateral load with that of load–deflection pattern obtained from PLAXIS 3D. A good agreement is found between experimental and numerical results. A parametric study was conducted with varying pile configuration, pile group spacing, and inclination of loads to study the influence of load inclination on the load–deflection and bending behaviour of piles. It is observed that with an increase in load inclination, the lateral deflection of piles and pile groups significantly decreased accompanied by an increase in the vertical deformation. The maximum bending moment observed in the piles and pile groups is also significantly decreased with increase in the load inclination.KeywordsSoil-pile interactionPLAXIS 3DInclined loadsPile head deflectionBending moment