Assessment of the lateral displacement of a single pile in the sloping ground based on finite element analysis method

Abstract The current study observed the effect of embankment height, pile diameter, and pile length on the lateral displacement of the reinforced concrete pile installed in the sloping ground using the finite element analysis program. While the embankment height in the study was 1.5, 3.0, and 4.5 m, the pile diameter was 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 meters. The pile length was chosen as 10, 15, and 20 m for the analysis. This study figured that the embankment height affected remarkably the lateral displacement of the pile (LDP). As the height of the embankment increased, the LDP increased. Results of the LDP in the case of difference in pile diameter were similar. It could be seen that the pile diameter did not affect the LDP in the sloping ground. Finally, the study for the effect of pile embedment length showed that for the pile head, a pile with a longer embedment length resulted in a smaller lateral displacement. However, for the pile toe, piles with different embedment lengths produced similar lateral displacements. It is noted that the current study only evaluated the effect of embankment height, pile diameter, and pile length on the LDP based on the finite element analysis. Further studies on the effects of these factors based on experimental evaluation should be carried out.