Effect of Loading Direction and Slope on Laterally Loaded Pile in Sloping Ground

Abstract

A series of three-dimensional finite element analyses were performed to study the behavior of piles in sloping ground under undrained lateral loading conditions. The analyses have been conducted for slopes with different angles and two loading directions. The obtained results show that as the slope increases, it can cause greater lateral displacement and internal force of the pile. In addition, the increase of the slope ratio will cause the position of the maximum bending moment and soil resistance zero point of the pile to move downward, further increasing the pile deflection. Furthermore, when the pile distance from slope crest B < 7D, the displacement and internal force development of the pile under toward loading is more obvious. When the pile distance from the slope crest exceeds 7D, the effect of loading direction on the pile can be neglected.