Applicability of Conventional p-y Relations to the Analysis of Piles in Laterally Spreading Soil
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 137, Issue 6
Abstract
This paper presents a kinematic analysis of a single pile embedded in a laterally spreading layered soil profile and discusses the relevancy of conventional analysis models to this load case. The research encompasses the creation of three-dimensional (3D) finite-element (FE) models using the OpenSees FE analysis platform. These models consider a single pile embedded in a layered soil continuum. Three reinforced concrete pile designs are considered. The piles are modeled using beam-column elements and fiber-section models. The soil continuum is modeled using brick elements and a Drucker-Prager constitutive model. The soil-pile interface is modeled using beam-solid contact elements. The FE models are used to evaluate the response of the soil-pile system to lateral spreading and two alternative lateral load cases. Through the computation of force density-displacement (p-y) curves representative of the soil response, the FE analysis (FEA) results are used to evaluate the adequacy of conventional p-y curve relationships in modeling lateral spreading. It is determined that traditional p-y curves are unsuitable for use in analyses where large pile deformations occur at depth.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research (PEER) Center under Subagreement No. UNSPECIFIED00006405, which is gratefully acknowledged. The writers are also grateful for the support and ideas provided by Ignatius Po Lam.
References
American Petroleum Institute (API). (1987). “Recommended practice for planning, designing and constructing fixed offshore platforms.” API Recommended Practice 2A (RP-2A), 17th Ed., Washington, DC.
Brandenberg, S. J., Boulanger, R. W., Kutter, B. L., and Chang, D. (2007). “Static pushover analyses of pile groups in liquefied and laterally spreading ground in centrifuge tests.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 133(9), 1055–1066.
Brinch Hansen, J. (1961). “The ultimate resistance of rigid piles against transversal forces.” Bulletin No. 12, Geoteknisk Institute, Copenhagen, 5–9.
Broms, B. B. (1964). “Lateral resistance of piles in cohesionless soils.” J. Soil Mech. Found. Div., 90(SM3), 123–156.
Brown, D. A., and Shie, C. F. (1990). “Three dimensional finite element model of laterally loaded piles.” Comput. Geotech., 10(1), 59–79.
Chen, W. F., and Saleeb, A. F. (1994). Constitutive equations for engineering materials. Volume I: Elasticity and modeling, Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam.
Finn, W. D. L., and Fujita, N. (2002). “Piles in liquefiable soils: Seismic analysis and design issues.” Soil Dyn. Earthquake Eng., 22(9-12), 731–742.
Fleming, W. G. K., Weltman, A. J., Randolph, M. F., and Elson, W. K. (1985). Piling engineering, Surrey University Press, London.
Georgiadis, M. (1983). “Development of p-y curves for layered soils.” Geotechnical practice in offshore engineering, ASCE, Reston, VA, 536–545.
International Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE). (2008). GiD User Manual, 〈http://gid.cimne.upc.es/〉 (May 2011).
Kulhawy, F. H., and Mayne, P. W. (1990). “Manual on estimating soil properties for foundation design.” EPRI EL-6800, Project 1493-6 Final Rep., Electrical Power Research Institute.
Lam, I. P., Arduino, P., and Mackenzie-Helnwein, P. (2009). “Opensees soil-pile interaction study under lateral spread loading.” International Foundation Congress and Equipment Expo, Orlando, FL.
Lam, I. P., and Cheang, L. (1995). “Dynamic soil-pile interaction behavior in submerged sands.” Earthquake-induced movements and seismic remediation of existing foundations and abutments (GSP 55), S. L. Kramer, and R. Siddharthan, eds., ASCE, New York, 110–135.
Matlock, H., and Reese, L. C. (1960). “Generalized solutions for laterally loaded piles.” J. Soil Mech. Found. Div., 86(SM5), 63–91.
McClelland, B., and Focht, J. (1958). “Soil modulus for laterally loaded piles.” Transactions, ASCE, 123, 1049–1086.
OpenSees [Computer software]. “Open System for Earthquake Engineering Simulation.” Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center, Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA. 〈http://opensees.berkeley.edu〉 (May 2011).
Petek, K. A. (2006). “Development and application of mixed beam–solid models for analysis of soil-pile interaction problems.” Ph.D. thesis, Univ. of Washington.
Reese, L. C., Cox, W. R., and Koop, F. D. (1974). “Analysis of laterally loaded piles in sand.” Proc., 6th Offshore Technology Conf., Vol. 2, Houston. 473–483.
Reese, L. C., and Van Impe, W. F. (2001). “Single piles and pile groups under lateral loading.” Balkema, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Wang, S. T., and Reese, L. C. (1998). “Design of pile foundations in liquefied soils.” Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Soil Dynamics III (GSP 75): Proc., Specialty Conf., P. Dakoulas, M. K. Yegian, and R. D. Holz, eds., 1331–1343, Seattle, WA.
Wriggers, P. (2002). Computational contact mechanics, Wiley, West Sussex, UK.
Yang, Z., and Jeremic, B. (2005). “Study of soil layering effects on lateral loading behavior of piles.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 131(6), 762–770.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 137 • Issue 6 • June 2011
Pages: 557 - 567
Copyright
© 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 11, 2009
Accepted: Oct 20, 2010
Published online: Oct 27, 2010
Published in print: Jun 1, 2011
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.