Numerical Modeling of Granular Anchor Pile System in Loose Sandy Soil Subjected to Uplift Loading

Abstract

During the last few decades various researchers have proposed appropriate experimental and numerical methods to estimate the uplift capacity of granular anchor piles (GAPs) in expansive soils. Surprisingly, very few studies have been performed to determine the uplift capacity of GAPs in loose sands. This paper presents the results of the numerical study to estimate the ultimate uplift capacity of group piles. Numerical analysis is performed using finite element software PLAXIS-3D. The foundation system is assumed to consist of a different number of regularly spaced GAPs installed in loose sandy soils. The analysis examines the influence of factors such as number of piles n and length L to width D ratio, and properties of the granular pile material and compares the efficiency of group of GAP systems of different configurations.