3D Finite Element Analysis of Lateral Loaded Pile using Beam and Rigid Link

The BNWF (Beam on Nonlinear Winkler Foundation) model is one of the simplest idealizations for a pile embedded in soil as it ignores the continuity of the soil. This method is difficult to model the behavior of pile group foundation subjected to lateral loading. The limitation can be overcome with the utilization of the finite element method (FEM) or finite different method (FDM) to represent a pile element embedded in a soil medium. Both the ground and piles are modeled with soild elements. The solid elements, which do not have rotational degree of freedom, is not appropriate for modeling piles. It can be overcome by substantially increasing the number of elements, which can be prohibitive for 3D modeling. This paper used the beam element and rigid link incorporated in the OpenSees to model the pile. The accuracy of the model is validated through comparison with lateral load test and BNWF analysis. It is shown that the method can capture the measured behavior accurately. It is therefore recommended to be used in group pile analyses.