Analysis of lateral loading of pile groups using embedded beam elements with interaction surface.

DIEGO F. TURELLO; FEDERICO PINTO; PABLO JAVIER SANCHEZ

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS

JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2018

0363-9061

The numerical simulation of soil-pile interaction problems, by means of full 3D finite element models,involves a large number of Degrees of Freedom (DOF) and difficulties during the mesh generation process.In order to reduce the unknowns, simplify and properly analyze such class of geotechnical problems, theso-called Embedded Beam Elements (EBE) have recently been developed. In a preceding contribution ofthe authors an improved EBE formulation, which brings into play the soil-pile interaction surface, wasproposed with the aim to localize material plasticity in the soil surrounding the pile. This embedded beammodel couples two different finite elements, each described by distinct kinematics (i.e., solid and beam). Thecoupling is incorporated in the formulation by means of kinematical constrains established over the solid andbeam displacement fields on the interaction surface. One of the main advantages of the embedded elementsis that the addition of beams structural members immersed within the 3D soil model does not representa constraint for the solid mesh, which can be adopted independently from the beam mesh. In this paper,the lateral loading of pile groups is studied by means of the proposed EBE approach with elasto-plasticinterfaces. In order to represent a rigid cap, a master node and a special set of kinematical restrictions areincorporated into the formulation. The paper presents results obtained by means of the present formulationcompared against other well-established analysis methods and test results published in the literature, forboth elastic and elasto-plastic cases