Application of the Meshfree Method for Evaluating the Bearing Capacity and Response Behavior of Foundation Piles
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 12, Issue 2
Abstract
Meshfree method is one of the numerical methods that typically use higher-order approximate functions and a weighted-residual approach to formulate the shape functions that are independent of the grids. In this paper, a series of computational modeling were conducted using the meshfree local Petrov-Galerkin (MLPG) method to evaluate the bearing capacity and response behavior of extended-length piles. The computational program codes and boundary conditions were generated based on the elastic-plastic behavior of the surrounding soil, reinforcements, and the noncontinuous interfaces between the piles and the soil. Compared to the traditional finite-element method (FEM), the MLPG exhibited higher accuracy in the results and indicated that the optimal length of the pile is directly related to the stiffness of the soil, i.e., the stiffer the soil, the longer the allowable pile length. Overall, the MLPG meshfree method was found to be a reliable and potentially promising numerical method for studying the bearing behavior of pile foundations.
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Acknowledgments
The authors appreciate the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 50908024), Western Communications Construction Scientific and Technological Project (no. 2009318000048), and the Hunan Transportation Science and Technology Project (no. 200904).
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Information
Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 12 • Issue 2 • April 2012
Pages: 98 - 104
Copyright
© 2012. American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 9, 2010
Accepted: Jan 7, 2011
Published online: Jan 10, 2011
Published in print: Apr 1, 2012
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