3-D Numerical Investigation of Piles under Monotonic and Cyclic Lateral Loads in Clay

Two 3-D numerical procedures, Finite Element Method (FEM) and Finite Difference Method (FDM), are used to analyze laterally loaded piles in clay. Two field-measured case studies, one in soft clay and the other one in stiff clay, are modeled in this numerical study. The monotonically loaded pile in soft clay is modeled by both FEM and FDM, while the cyclically loaded pile in stiff clay is only modeled by the FDM. A strain hardening von Mises constitutive law is used in case of monotonic load, but a strain softening von Mises constitutive law is assigned for soil behavior in the case of cyclic load. FEM and FDM show the same displacements at the monotonically loaded pile head in soft clay. Both methods suggests that the soil shear strength, in case of soft clay, must be reduced up to 30% in order to match the numerical results with the field measured data. The displacements at cyclically loaded pile head in stiff clay are in good correspondence with the field-measured data.