Performance assessment of existing axially loaded piles due to an adjacent excavation in sand

• Published in: Sadhana (Bangalore) Vol. 50; no. 2
• Main Authors: Bindu, Abhirami, Shanmugam, Karthigeyan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Delhi Springer India 17.05.2025; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Bending moments; Deformation effects; Engineering; Excavation; Lateral loads; Maximum bending; Numerical analysis; Performance assessment; Pneumatics; Sand; Sandy soils; Specific gravity; finite element model (FEM); slip surface; lateral deformation; Excavation; pile foundations; bending moment; stress relief
• ISSN: 0973-7677; 0256-2499; 0973-7677
• DOI: 10.1007/s12046-025-02751-9

Excavations for new constructions adjacent to the existing pile-supported structures induce additional lateral loads on the pile that might cause distress to the piles. Parametric studies were carried out to investigate the response of an axially loaded pile subjected to induced loads from an adjacent excavation in a sandy soil deposit using numerical analysis. The effect of excavation on the deformation and bending moment characteristics of the pile were examined by varying the key pile and excavation-related parameters. The pile tip position of the existing pile from the excavation level and the horizontal distance between the piles and the excavations are crucial in determining the extent of susceptibility to deformations. The pile tips resting above the excavation level were vulnerable to excessive deformations and bending moments compared to those resting below the excavation level. An increase in the relative density of sand was found to reduce the maximum bending moments of the pile by up to 90% and deformations by up to 65%. The increase in the stiffness of the excavation support significantly reduced the pile lateral deformations by up to 55% and bending moments by up to 72%. A slip surface was traced from the displacement contours obtained from the numerical analysis. The piles enclosed within the boundaries of the developed slip surface are subjected to higher magnitudes of deformations and bending moments that lead to hindrances in their design performance.