Numerical Analysis

A coupled Eulerian-Lagrange FEM method for analyzing the effects of spudcan penetration on an adjacent pile

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  • 1. State Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Engineering Simulation and Safety, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; 2. Institute of Geotechnical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China

Received date: 2014-07-08

  Online published: 2018-06-09

Supported by

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (51579174).

Abstract

Based on the results of the centrifuge modeling, the possible effect of spudcan penetration on an adjacent pile is analyzed based on the coupled Eulerian- Lagrangian (CEL) FEM method and the nonlinear foundation beam FEM method. In the CEL FEM method, the strata with large deformation are set as the Eulerian domain, and the deformation responses of the domain are calculated by an Eulerian finite element algorithm. Eulerian meshes are fixed in the space and materials can move through meshes during calculations. Other strata are set as the Lagrangian domain and deformation responses of the domain are calculated by the Lagrangian finite element algorithm during calculations. Material movements are consistent with deformations of meshes for the Lagrangian finite element algorithm. Eulerian and Lagrangian domains are coupled by the penalty function method. Lateral displacements along the adjacent pile due to the spudcan penetration are determined by CEL finite element analyses. Bending moments along the pile are further determined by nonlinear foundations beam finite element calculations. It is shown that the variations of lateral displacements and bending moments along the pile are consistent with the results of centrifuge model tests, showing that effects of the spudcan penetration on an adjacent pile can be analyzed by using the CEL finite element method and the nonlinear foundation beam finite element method. It is also shown that the Eulerian stratum depth has a significant effect on the CEL calculation results. If the spudcan penetration depth is less than 0.75 times the diameter of the spudcan, the Eulerian stratum depth is set as 1 to 1.25 times the diameter of the spudcan. If spudcan penetration depth is larger than 0.75 times the diameter of the spudcan, the Eulerian stratum depth should be set as 0.5 times the diameter of the spudcan below the spudcan penetration depth.

Cite this article

WANG Jian-hua ,LAN Fei , . A coupled Eulerian-Lagrange FEM method for analyzing the effects of spudcan penetration on an adjacent pile[J]. Rock and Soil Mechanics, 2016 , 37(4) : 1127 -1136 . DOI: 10.16285/j.rsm.2016.04.027

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