3D numerical analysis of passive pile groups adjacent to deep braced excavation in soft clay

Abstract

This paper analyzes responses of pile groups adjacent to deep braced excavation in soft marine clay by 3D finite element method, based on field instrumented case history. Pile groups comprising of 2×1, 4×1, 8×1 and 8×2 piles with center- to-center spacing of 2d and 3d, respectively, were numerically investigated. The group factor in terms of the maximum pile bending moment is carried out to examine the effects of pile diameter, pile spacing, and pile number on the group effects. The group factor for the center piles and edge piles, as well as the front piles and rear piles in a two-row pile group, are compared. Conclusions arrived at in this study can provide design guidelines for deep braced excavations with adjacent foundation piles considering the pile-soil interaction and pile group effect. Keywords: