Response of piles due to lateral slope movement

A displacement method using the FLAC3D program is used to evaluate the response of piles caused by an embankment slope in a translational failure mode, induced by a weak soil layer or a liquefied layer beneath the embankment. The analyses include the kinematic loading acting on the bridge piles caused by lateral soil movements, and the effects of spatial variation of soil displacement on the response of piles and pile groups (2 × 2). The analysis demonstrates that the proposed displacement method can be applied to design of pile foundations undergoing lateral soil movement or for use in pile–slope stability analysis. Sensitivity studies varying soil and pile parameters are also presented. The results bring out the important effects of relative stiffness between pile and soil on the pile’s failure modes. Published case histories are examined and used as a basis for verifying the proposed methodology.