A Novel Simplified Analysis Model to Predict Behaviors of Single Piles Subjected to Reverse Faulting

Pile foundations are vulnerable to fault deformations. However, both the physical and numerical modeling of pile foundations under fault deformations are complicated and time-consuming. A simplified model is required for design and engineering practices. This study proposed a novel simplified analysis model to predict the behaviors of single piles subjected to reverse faulting. A two-dimensional beam–spring model is applied. The calculations of the stiffnesses of soil springs, skin friction, ultimate soil resistances, and Young’s modulus of sand are presented and discussed. The numerical results show a good agreement with the results of previous centrifuge tests. The parametric studies using the novel model show that ultimate horizontal soil resistance, skin friction, Young’s modulus of soil, pile stiffness, and sand density exhibit apparent effects on the responses of a single pile. The ultimate soil resistance controls the maximum inner forces, while Young’s modulus affects the increment of inner forces. The bending moment increases with pile stiffness initially and then remains relatively stable. Larger sand density leads to larger inner forces of the pile, owing to greater ultimate soil resistance and stiffness of the soil spring.

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