Settlement analysis of pile cap with normal and under-reamed piles

Abstract

The use of pile foundations has become more popular in recent years, as the combined action of the pile cap and the piles can increase the bearing capacity, reduce settlement, and the piles can be arranged so as to reduce differential deflection in the pile cap. Piles are relatively long, slender members that transmit foundation loads through soil strata of low bearing capacity to deeper soil or rock strata having a high bearing capacity. In this study analysis of pile cap with considering different parameters like depth of the pile cap, width and breadth of the pile cap, type of piles and different types of soil which affect the behaviour of pile cap foundation is carried out by using Finite Element Software ANSYS. For understanding the settlement behaviour of pile cap foundation, parametric studies have been carried out in four types of clay by varying pile cap dimensions with two types of piles namely normal and under-reamed piles for different group of piles. Furthermore, the analysis results of settlement and stress values for the pile cap with normal and under-reamed piles are compared. From the study it can be concluded that settlement values of pile cap with under-reamed pile are less than the settlements of pile cap with normal pile. It means that the ultimate load bearing capacity of pile cap with under-reamed piles are greater than the pile cap with normal piles.