Three dimensional undrained bearing capacity analysis of laterally loaded pile in heterogeneous marine deposits

Abstract

In this study, the ultimate undrained bearing capacity of a laterally loaded pile, embedded in heterogeneous marine deposits exhibiting linear and bi-linear undrained shear strength profiles was calculated by putting into practice the three-dimensional finite element lower bound limit analysis in conjunction with the second-order cone programming method. The lower bound finite element bearing capacity of a laterally loaded single pile can be found by formulating the element equilibrium, discontinuity equilibrium, boundary conditions, yield function, and optimization of the objective function through these constraints by second-order cone programming method. A parametric study is also conducted to evaluate the most effective factors including the dimensionless pile embedded length ratio, soil strength parameter, heterogeneity factors, transformation depth and soil–pile interface adhesion. The findings of the current study have been compared and validated with the results reported in the literature and presented in the form of tables and figures. The results show that that the effects of heterogeneity, linear and bi-linear variations of undrained shear strength with depth are more meaningful for soft marine clay in comparison to stiff clay and the curves of heterogeneous to homogeneous bearing capacity ratio reach to the unit value by increasing the dimensionless cohesion factor.