Simplified Model of Column-Supported Embankment to Account for Nonuniform Deformations of Soils

Abstract

This paper proposes a theoretical method to analyze the column-supported embankment. The emphasis is on quantifying the nonuniform deformation of the soft soil beneath the embankment by two deformed shape functions, and the functions include the coupling effects of radial and vertical deformation of soils. On this basis, a modified cell model, considering the influence of the relative displacement on the friction, can be further developed to characterize the load transfer behavior of soil arching within the embankment. In addition, the impact of pile-soil interaction on the evolution of soil arching can be considered in this study. A semianalytical solution for the column-supported embankment is obtained by a simple code for convenience in preliminary design. The proposed method is synchronously verified by numerical results and laboratory observations. In the proposed method, the stress ratio and the load sharing ratio, as two significant factors affecting the soil arching, are discussed at length.