Estimation of bending moment and pile displacement for soil-pile-quay wall system subjected to liquefaction induced lateral spreading

The liquefaction-induced lateral spreading has been responsible for severe damages on the pile foundation during major earthquakes. Therefore, the seismic response of soil-pile-quay wall systems in liquefiable soils still needs further investigations. In this paper, a three-dimensional (3D) nonlinear dynamic finite element (FE) analyses are used and developed for the coupled dynamic soil-water system considering the soil, pile, and quay wall interaction. The numerical analysis efficiency was verified by the data of a large-scale (1 g) shaking table experiment. A parametric study was also investigated on the model to clarify the effect of each parameter, such as pile stiffness, pile diameter, and pile length, under various peak ground acceleration. On this basis, the results obtained indicate the three factors have significant effects on bending moment and pile displacement. Furthermore, it is observed that the depth of liquefaction changes as the peak ground acceleration changes. Based on the dimensionless soil-pile interaction parameter, a simplified method is provided for predicting the maximum bending moment and the maximum pile displacement of the pile group subjected to liquefaction induced-lateral spreading.

Automated summary

The paper highlights the importance of investigating the seismic response of soil-pile-quay wall systems in liquefiable soils. A 3D nonlinear dynamic finite element analysis is used to study the interaction between soil, pile, and quay wall. The study shows that variables such as pile stiffness, diameter, and length significantly affect bending moment and pile displacement.