Auth: Vincenzo De Gennaro, Roger Frank, and Imen Said
Book Summary: This technical paper investigates the complex soil-structure interaction of deep foundations, specifically focusing on how axially loaded model piles behave in sandy soils using the Finite Element Method (FEM).
The study highlights the critical role of the narrow interface zone between the rigid pile and the deformable granular soil, where intense strain localization and progressive shearing occur. Using the CESAR-LCPC finite element software, the authors model the sand mass under various conditions—including elasticity, ideal plasticity, and strain-hardening plasticity. The paper details numerical strategies designed to overcome the challenges of simulating pile installation effects, validating their FEA models against both experimental calibration chamber tests and real-world field data.
