Analysis of piles under combined loading

Aurva Kapoor, Purdue University

Abstract

Calculation of deflections for piles loaded under both axial and lateral loads are a key component of effective pile design. This thesis presents the solution for the problem of a pile in a multi-layered elastic soil subject to axial loads, lateral loads and moments. The multi-layered soil profile is a continuum following either linear elasticity or nonlinear elasticity. The input parameters needed are the pile geometry, soil profile and the elastic constants of the soil and pile. For nonlinear elastic soil, additional parameters are also required. For a given set of loading conditions, the displacement field at any point in the pile-soil domain can be obtained using principles of continuum mechanics and calculus of variations. An analytical solution for the pile displacements is obtained. Functions varying along the depth and radial direction describe the displacement field in the soil. Using strain-displacement and stress strain relationships, these functions are used to define the strain potential energy of the pile-soil system. Further, through calculus of variations, we get the governing differential equations along with boundary conditions involving these functions. The solution of the boundary-value problem relies on the eigenvalue method for the pile differential equations and on the finite difference method for the soil differential equations. An iterative scheme couples the soil and pile solutions, so that the solution to the problem reflects the interaction between the pile and soil.

Degree

M.S.C.E.

Advisors

Salgado, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Geological|Civil engineering

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