Non-linear analysis of pile groups

A numerical code is presented for the prediction of linear and non-linear behaviour of axially and laterally loaded pile groups. Although solutions based on finite element modelling (FEM) and boundary element modelling (BEM) of the soil continuum have been developed, the application of these methods is mainly restricted to linear elastic analysis and relatively small pile groups. In particular, it has been shown that a rigorous BEM solution to large pile group problems is uneconomical and hence it was restricted to small pile groups. In contrast, the proposed approach put forward here demonstrates that a complete BEM solution can be applied to large pile groups without precluding its use in normal design. Benchmark solutions in the linear and non-linear range are presented, and comparisons of the results with some available published solutions are employed to assess the accuracy of the present approach. Finally, three case studies are described which demonstrate the applicability of the method to practical problems.