Lateral Deformation of Piles on a Soil Batter

Piles constructed in ground that is subsequently excavated to form a batter, will exhibit an out of balance net lateral force along the length of the piles which will result in deformation. The net lateral force distribution on the pile and the resulting deformation will depend on several factors. These factors include the height and slope angle of the batter, the weight density and stiffness of the soil, and the diameter and stiffness of the pile, together with the location of the pile relative to the batter slope. Based on observations of pile deformation following batter construction in soils of low stiffness, this paper documents the three and two-dimensional numerical analysis of lateral pile deformation for a range of pertinent soil and pile parameters. The findings from the numerical analysis enabled the development of a simple equation that can be used by engineers to estimate the pile movement for a range of soil and pile parameters, under non-plastic and non-failure conditions.