Numerical analysis of laterally loaded barrettes performance in cohesionless soils

Abstract

This paper investigates the performance of a single and a group of laterally loaded barrettes using a series of numerical models in a three-dimensional finite element software. The simulation of laterally loaded barrettes in both directions is verified by comparing numerical predictions to field measurements previously published in the literature. This paper defines the soil wedge around the barrette sheared at a strain equivalent to the minimum shear strain value at the barrette side or higher as the effective strain wedge. The results from a suite of numerical experiments show that the size of the effective shear strain wedge remains constant at different lateral loads, soil density, barrette shape (aspect ratio), and barrette stiffness. This paper also delineates the effect of spacing in a group of barrettes on the mobilized strain wedges and the associated lateral deformations. The paper then suggests equivalent dimensions for laterally loaded barrettes to be used as input parameters in analyses using p-y curves based on the shape of the effective strain wedge. The predictions from p-y analyses are improved in all the studied cases when equivalent dimensions are used compared to the finite element computations. The paper studies the appropriate design multipliers recommended in literature to be used in the p-y curves method for laterally loaded barrette groups in single and multiple rows. Comparisons with finite element results show the validity of employing the equivalent shape dimensions in determining suitable p-multipliers.