Lateral Dynamic Response of Full-Scale Single Piles: Case Studies in India

The determination of dynamic characteristics of soil-pile system by full-scale lateral dynamic pile load testing is an important aspect in the design of pile foundations subjected to dynamic loads. Field test results are very useful for validating existing linear/nonlinear models which are used to predict the dynamic stiffness and damping of the soil-pile system. This paper presents the results of field lateral dynamic load tests conducted at two different petrochemical complex sites in India and the measured dynamic constants of the soil-pile system. A three-dimensional finite element analysis is performed using ABAQUS to predict the nonlinear response of the soil-pile system under dynamic lateral loads. The lateral stiffness estimated from the FE analysis is compared with stiffness measured from field tests and it shows good agreement.