Numerical analysis of inclined pile group performance in liquefiable sands

Abstract

To investigate the performance of inclined piles on liquefiable ground during earthquakes, a three-dimensional finite element model has been developed using OpenSees program. The proposed modelling method takes account of the effects of soil-pile interaction and the dynamic behavior of liquefiable sand. The model suggested herein has been verified under monotonic pushover load at the pile head and seismic load at the model base. By changing the inclination angle of the pile and the amplitude of loading patterns, a series of parametric analyses is then conducted and the soil, cap and pile responses are compared. The results illustrate that the presence of inclined piles has a beneficial effect on the dynamic response of the soil-pile-cap system in non-liquefied soils. The occurrence of soil liquefaction with regard to cap response could still be beneficial. However, highly detrimental effects on the soil and pile responses could be observed as the soil liquefied.