Three-dimensional finite element analysis of bio-inspired root anchored pile in clay

Abstract

This paper examines the pile bearing capacity of the innovative pile foundation, which is inspired by razor clam and the anchorage of tree root, so-called Bio-inspired Root Anchored Pile (BRAP). Three-dimensional finite element analysis was conducted by making use of a well-documented pile load test in North Jakarta. The results showed that, the BRAP pile could increase the pile bearing capacity from 14.7% to 25% if compared with the conventional pile foundations. In addition, the contribution of the BRAP anchor bolt is around 6 to 9% of the total load. This indicates that the BRAP could be an alternative solution to overcome the soft soil problem instead of increasing the conventional pile dimension, such as length and diameter.