Finite element simulation for the lateral deformations of piles

Finite element method (FEM) has been widely used in geotechnical engineering, but relatively less in the analysis of laterally loaded piles. Few literatures about the numerical method simulating the loading capacity and deformation of laterally loaded piles-soils structure have been reported. The main purpose of this paper is to study the lateral deformation of laterally loaded piles by using FEM. First, The basic theories and methods of the laterally loaded piles are briefly analyzed; and then the 2-D and 3-D FEM models of pile-soil system are proposed by using the finite element analysis software ABAQUS. Differences between the FEM and the analytical solutions are compared through two illustrative examples calculated respectively by M-method which is used in the current code and by Poulos elastic theory method. Good agreement is found between the results from FEM calculation and the analytical solutions, which proves the reliability and efficiency of the FEM model given in this paper.