Analysis of laterally loaded pile groups using a variational approach

This paper presents a variational approach for the analysis of laterally loaded pile groups. The displacements and reaction pressures of piles in a group are represented by finite series, and no discretisation of the pile shaft is required. The principle of minimum potential energy is applied to determine the response of a group of piles. The validity of the present approach is verified through comparison with other theoretical solutions. Case studies are also presented to show the application of the present method to pile groups in the field.