A Soil-Pile Response under Coupled Static-Dynamic Loadings in Terms of Kinematic Interaction

Abstract

Although the axial aptitude and pile load transfer under static loading have been extensively documented, the dynamic axial reaction, on the other hand, requires further investigation. During a seismic event, the pile load applied may increase, while the soil load carrying capacity may decrease due to the shaking, resulting in additional settlement. The researchers concentrated their efforts on determining the cause of extensive damage to the piles after the seismic event. Such failures were linked to discontinuities in the subsoil due to abrupt differences in soil stiffness, and so actions were called kinematic impact of the earthquake on piles depending on the outcomes of laboratory tests and other numerical analyses. In this research, numerical modeling is used to explore the kinematic forces created in a single pile erected in two sand layers under two different conditions (dry and saturated states). Based on the obtained results from the physical model, the maximum bending moment was observed at a depth around 200 mm below the ground surface in the loose sand layer, then these values gradually reduced until it becomes negative in the dense sand layer. It has been demonstrated that this modeling may be used to predict how a pile foundation would respond to “kinematic” loading generated by ground movements during a seismic event. Consequently, the current findings could be used in the design and construction of bored aluminum or steel piles in Al-Karbala soil.

Keywords

• earthquake
• pile response
• sandy soil
• bending moment
• lateral deflection