Influence of Scour Depth on Pile Group with Complex Configuration in Clay

Abstract

AbstractThe pile foundation in the current and marine environment will be affected by the scour of the current, which will cause the soil around the pile to be eroded, thereby reducing the bearing capacity of the pile. Many studies were pointed out that scour is one of the main reasons for bridge failure. However, A few studies have investigated the change in bearing capacity of laterally loaded pile groups under scour conditions. Based on the LIJIATUO Bridge 5# and 6# pile groups foundation and corresponding geological data on the JIALING River in Chongqing, a number of numerical studies are conducted to examine the lateral behavior of two pile groups with complex configurations under different scour conditions by using three-dimensional FEM model. The MCC model was adopted to describe the mechanical responses of soil. The formation process of the local scour hole around pile groups was simulated using the life and death element method. By comparing the bearing capacity of laterally loaded pile group and laterally loaded isolated pile under the same scour conditions. The results show that the increase in scour depth will reduce the bearing capacity of the laterally loaded pile group. The group effect of pile groups under lateral load will change with the varying scour depth. Among them, the scour depth has the most excellent effect on the group effect of the leading row piles.KeywordsLocal scour depthLaterally loaded pile groupsComplex configurationNumerical methodPile group effect