Effects of Loading Frequency on Soil–Pile Interaction Using Numerical Nonlinear Three-Dimensional Analyses
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 25, Issue 1
Abstract
The kinematic interaction between piles under seismic loading has been extensively studied from analytical, experimental, and numerical perspectives. Of note, within numerical modeling, the majority of the existing literature relies on simplified approaches for characterizing the soil–pile interaction, which leads to the requirement for more reliable and comprehensive research. In this paper, using FLAC3D, the seismic response of the soil–pile system was investigated with a set of fully nonlinear three-dimensional (3D) numerical analyses in the time domain. This model simulated the soil strength and stiffness dependency on the stress level and soil nonlinear behavior under cyclic loading. The Mohr–Coulomb (M–C) constitutive model described the soil’s mechanical behavior, which was used with additional hysteretic damping to suit the dynamic behavior. In the framework of a parametric study, the effects of loading frequency on the response of a soil–pile system that was subjected to seismic loading were studied. The results showed that the pile response and soil characteristics, as well as the natural frequency mode of the system’s dynamic behavior, are strongly affected by the frequency of the seismic loading. Therefore, the bending moment and lateral displacement along the length of a pile increase as the loading frequency approaches the natural frequency of the system. In addition, when the loading frequency reaches a threshold value far from the fundamental frequency of the system, the effect of loading frequency on the soil–pile system response becomes negligible. In addition, the relationship between the pile diameter and maximum pile bending moment at different loading frequencies is affected by the soil properties.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, or codes that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 25 • Issue 1 • January 2025
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© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Dec 27, 2023
Accepted: Jul 9, 2024
Published online: Oct 17, 2024
Published in print: Jan 1, 2025
Discussion open until: Mar 17, 2025
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