Dynamic Analysis of Piles under Lateral Harmonic Vibration (original) (raw)

This paper presents a new mathematical approach for the analysis of harmonically vibrating horizontal, linear, elastic uniform pile. The soil properties may vary from layer to layer. No separation is allowed at the soil-pile interface. The pile is modeled as a number of cylindrical segments connected by rigid nodes. The length of each segment is chosen such that the effects of the soil inhomogenity are accounted for. The governing differential equation for an arbitrary pile segment is obtained and solved. According to the pile support types such as pinned, fixed and free conditions, first an arbitrary appropriate value for either toe force, bending moment, rotation, or displacement is assumed. The governing differential equation is then solved from the lower pile segment to the top one. The stiffness of the whole pile-soil system will then be computed. It is shown that the slenderness ratio, the stiffness ratio and toe fixity are the governing parameters affecting the stiffness of the soil-pile system. The new analytical model, which is verified using existing numerical and analytical solutions, is more efficient than the equivalent numerical solutions for example finite eminent methods.