Numerical estimation of the subgrade reaction modulus of a horizontally loaded piled raft

A horizontal full-scale test was executed in a piled raft with a single pile. Later, from those measured experimental results, some numerical simulations were carried out using a commercial software Abaqus 2019 obtaining acceptable approximations. During the numerical analysis, the elastic-plastic behavior of each material comprising the foundation system has been considered, including the soil, the concrete, and the steel. Based on such numerical approximations, a polynomial function that represent the pile deflections along the pile shaft has been calculated and plotted. Later, from this function the rotation, the bending moments, the shearing forces, and the load intensity along the pile were estimated; also, the subgrade reaction modulus of the soil was computed, and some p-y curves at specific depth points are presented according to the numerical results. Finally, this paper allowed obtaining a clear idea about the behavior and distribution of the internal forces not only in the foundation soil but also in the pile, from a success numerical performance.