Numerical Analysis of Consolidation Settlement of a Driven Square Concrete Pile in Soft Soil

This study investigates the consolidation settlement of a single pile by combining finite element modelling techniques and field data validation. Using Plaxis 2D and 3D, the study considers a series of static load tests performed over time on a pile driven in Florida and explores the performance of different modelling approaches. The pile is modelled with the soft soil advanced constitutive model, embedded beam row and soil volume. Two different geometry configurations are considered in the models. The average discrepancy between the numerical model values and the field measurement values is determined via the Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and the bias error. It was observed that the embedded beam row feature in the model has given satisfying results. The MAE is equal to 0.93, indicating a low discrepancy between the numerical model values and the reference values. Parametric investigations were conducted to explore soft clay parameters influencing displacement changes. Findings showed that the modified swelling index. k* is a critical parameter for the analysis, contributing 56% to the overall variation in the results. Cohesion and pile width also influenced, accounting for 22% and 13%, respectively.