Vertical dynamic response of single floating piles in poroelastic soil

Abstract

This paper presents a closed-form formulation for the time-harmonic response of single floating piles that are embedded in a saturated soil layer of finite thickness. The frictional force of surrounding soil to pile vertical motion is first established, considering the soil layer as homogeneous isotropic poroelastic medium that obeys Biot’s governing equations. The pile and the soil column underlying the pile tip are modelled using one-dimensional rod theory, and then closed-form solution is obtained from the boundary and continuity conditions, instead of numerically solving complicated integral equations that are used in the common boundary integral methods. Finally, we use arithmetic examples to identify the sensitivity of the dynamic pile impedance and of the soil reactions to the main geometrical and material problem parameters.