This example is from the analysis of a 3 x 3 pile group, as documented by Pirrello and Poulos (2014). The pile group consists of piles with a diameter of 0.5 m and an individual length of 15 m. The piles are arranged with a spacing of 2 m between each pile, both horizontally and vertically.
This validation example is based on the model test results of a group of piles embedded in sand as reported in Davisson and Salley (1970). A group of six tubular aluminium piles of external diameter of 12.7 mm and wall thickness of 0.8 mm. The piles were embedded in a tank of dry fine sand to a depth of 0.533 m and loaded through a pile cap just above the level of the sand surface. The shear modulus (G) of the sand is proportional to the depth below the sand surface with the
