Pile Group Settlement Analysis by Hybrid Layer Approach

Abstract

This paper describes a simplified hybrid layer approach for settlement analysis of axially loaded pile groups. The shaft and base interactions are considered separately in individual piles in a group. Semianalytical closed‐form expressions are derived to evaluate the shaft and base flexibility coefficients. Both linear and nonlinear pile responses are considered, and the soil mass may be arbitrarily layered. Good agreement is obtained between theoretical solutions computed by use of the approach and the more rigorous boundary integral approach. Finally, the approach is used to compute the settlement response of two field pile groups embedded in stiff overconsolidated clays, and reasonable agreement is observed between the measured and computed behavior.