Innovative Geotechnics

This example is based on the full-scale lateral load test of a 3 × 5 pile group reported by Walsh (2005). The test site comprised alternating sand and clay layers. The piles were steel pipes with an outer diameter of 0.324 m and a wall thickness of 0.0095 m. In the direction of loading, the piles were spaced at 3.92D (1.27 m) centre-to-centre, and 3.29D (1.07 m) centre-to-centre perpendicular to the loading direction. Each pile had an embedded length of 16.6 m, with the groun

This example is based on the full-scale lateral load test of a 3 × 3 pile group reported by Christensen (2006). The test site comprised alternating sand and clay layers. The piles were steel pipes with an outer diameter of 0.324 m and a wall thickness of 0.0095 m. In the direction of loading, the piles were spaced at 5.65D (1.83 m) centre-to-centre, and 3.29D (1.07 m) centre-to-centre perpendicular to the loading direction. Each pile had an embedded length of 12.8 m, with the

The example of a 3 x 3 pile group in Basile (2020) is analysed using the analysis mode of linear analysis based on elastic solutions in the PileGroup program. In this example, the piles are constructed in a homogeneous elastic soil layer with a Young’s modulus of 50 MPa and a Poisson’s ratio of 0.5. The Young’s modulus of the pile material is 30 GPa. The pile length is 20 m and the pile diameter is 1 m. The spacing between the piles is 3 m.

In this tutorial example, the use of the PileGroup program is demonstrated for analysing a pile group subject to TBM launching loading. This example involves a pile group consisting of 20 numbers of 1200 mm diameter CFA piles of 20 m long, which were spaced at three pile diameters in both directions.

PileGroup is a finite-element based program which has been developed to calculate the deformations and loads of pile groups subject to general three-dimensional loadings such as axial and lateral forces and moments applied on the pile caps. The individual piles within the pile group can be vertical or on a batter with the connection between pile heads and pile cap to be fixed, pinned, or elastically restrained by rotational springs.

Kraft et al. (1981) details the results of axial loading tests on single piles and pile groups driven into a stiff over-consolidated clay...