Modeling of Batter Pile Behavior under Lateral Soil Movement

Abstract

Pile foundation is frequently used when structures are located on weak sublayers or are at risk from lateral loadings such as earthquakes. The design of pile foundations has recently become crucial to stop slope movement. To understand the behavior of pile foundations subjected to lateral soil movement, the three-dimensional Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua (FLAC3D) program was used to perform numerical simulations, which can reduce the cost of field testing. Vertical piles and batter piles were combined into 3 × 3 pile groups, and the response of batter piles to soil movement was analyzed. The outer batter piles led to an increased bending moment in the middle, vertical pile row. Increasing the pile spacing and the presence of battered piles reduced the pile group’s displacement. The batter pile group’s maximum bending moment was smaller than the vertical pile group’s in sand soil, but 5–8 times higher in clay soil.