Modelling the dynamic pile-soil-pile interaction in a multi-layered half-space

Abstract

Within the context of railway ground-borne vibration, the dynamic pile-soil-pile interaction remains an area that has not been sufficiently investigated. Whilst a number of researchers have scrutinised the vibration response of piled-foundations, their approaches exhibit a compromise between computation time and solution accuracy. In this paper, two models of piled-foundations in a multi-layered half-space are presented; one is an efficient semi-analytical model and the other is a fully-coupled boundary element model. The pile is simulated, in both models, by an elastic bar for axial loading and an Euler-Bernoulli beam for transverse loading. A set of comparisons has been performed, including the driving point response of a single pile, the interaction between two piles and the 'far-field' response due to axial and transverse loading on the pile head. The comparisons reveal that at most frequencies the semi-analytical model predicts the driving point response and the dynamic interaction with acceptable accuracy and computational efficiency. It is highlighted, however, that the semi-analytical model with its present assumptions does not accurately approximate the 'far-field' response. Copyright © (2015) by EAA-NAG-ABAV, ISSN 2226-5147 All rights reserved.