Non Linear Analysis and Settlement of Floating and End Bearing Granular Pile

Abstract

newlineGround improvement with granular piles is a cost effective technique, which increases the newlineload carrying capacity, reduces the settlement of foundations built on the reinforced ground and also newlinea good alternative of concrete pile. Improvement in weak and soft sub-soil is encouraged nowadays newlinedue to depletion of the supply of sites with good foundation conditions. Reinforcement of ground newlinebecomes a necessity in many situations, where the soil is extremely weak or soft. A considerable newlineamount of weak soil is replaced by granular material with the installation of granular pile. The newlinecolumns of granular material create a composite ground of lower compressibility and higher shear newlinestrength than that of native soil. The granular pile develops strength and stiffness from the confining newlinestresses and the densification effect. As confinement increases with the depth, granular piles newlinedevelop non-homogeneity in that their modulus of deformation increases with depth. Using a non newlinelinear variation of the deformation modulus with depth of granular pile, the response of a nonhomogeneous newlinefloating and an end bearing granular pile is estimated. The interaction between soil newlineand pile has not been considered in many of the analyses. The present analysis is done to the study newlinethe response of a non-homogeneous floating and end-bearing granular pile in homogeneous and newlinenon-homogeneous soil based on the elastic continuum approach. Non-homogeneity of pile and soil newlineis taken into account for making the analysis more realistic and also represent the in-situ behaviour newlinemore closely. The analysis is applicable for linear to a non-linear variation of deformation moduli of newlinegranular pile and soil both from top to tip. The settlement of a granular pile depends on its newlinedeformation modulus, the magnitude of the applied load and the dimensions of granular pile. newlineThe basic response of the soil from which the solutions for elastic piles in elastic soil can be newlinederived is given by Mindlin s set of equations.