Simplified Approach for Axial Pile Group Response Analysis

Abstract

A simplified approach for the analysis of the static axial response of pile groups is presented. The approach is based on idealization of the soil around pile shafts as a “Winkler Model for Pile Group” and a transfer matrix approach. The Winkler Model for Pile Group can produce a pile‐soil‐pile interaction and is formulated so that the model can be defined from the Winkler model for a single isolated pile. Excellent agreement is found between the group factors computed by the present approach and by other approaches based on a continuous soil model. Charts are prepared for the construction of the transfer matrix. Using these prepared charts, the flexibility matrix at the heads of the pile group can be computed easily by hand for any complex soil profile.