Seismic Behavior of Pile Group Foundations in Soft Clay: Insights from Nonlinear Numerical Modeling

Pile foundations are commonly used to support structures subjected to complex loading conditions. In seismic-prone regions, understanding the soil–pile interaction under cyclic loading is essential for ensuring the stability and safety of these foundations. Numerical modeling is an effective tool fo...

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Main Authors: Mohsen Saleh Asheghabadi, Wenchang Shang, Junwei Liu, Haibao Feng, Lingyun Feng, Tengfei Sun, Jiankai Sun, Hongxuan Zhao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Infrastructures
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2412-3811/10/6/134
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author Mohsen Saleh Asheghabadi
Wenchang Shang
Junwei Liu
Haibao Feng
Lingyun Feng
Tengfei Sun
Jiankai Sun
Hongxuan Zhao
author_facet Mohsen Saleh Asheghabadi
Wenchang Shang
Junwei Liu
Haibao Feng
Lingyun Feng
Tengfei Sun
Jiankai Sun
Hongxuan Zhao
author_sort Mohsen Saleh Asheghabadi
collection DOAJ
description Pile foundations are commonly used to support structures subjected to complex loading conditions. In seismic-prone regions, understanding the soil–pile interaction under cyclic loading is essential for ensuring the stability and safety of these foundations. Numerical modeling is an effective tool for predicting the nonlinear behavior of soil under seismic excitation, but selecting an appropriate constitutive model remains a significant challenge. This study investigates the seismic behavior of pile groups embedded in soft clay using advanced finite element analysis. The piles are modeled as aluminum with a linear elastic response and are analyzed within a soil domain characterized by two kinematic hardening constitutive models based on the Von Mises failure criterion. Model parameters are calibrated using a combination of experimental and numerical data. The study also examines the influence of pile spacing within the group on seismic response, revealing notable differences in the response patterns. The results show that the nonlinear kinematic hardening model provides a more accurate correlation with experimental centrifuge test results compared to the multilinear model. These findings contribute to enhancing the understanding of soil–pile interaction under seismic loading and improving the design of pile foundations.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2412-3811
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Infrastructures
spelling doaj-art-8a0d4e61862846b8bcc49e4dc648a5862025-08-20T03:24:39ZengMDPI AGInfrastructures2412-38112025-05-0110613410.3390/infrastructures10060134Seismic Behavior of Pile Group Foundations in Soft Clay: Insights from Nonlinear Numerical ModelingMohsen Saleh Asheghabadi0Wenchang Shang1Junwei Liu2Haibao Feng3Lingyun Feng4Tengfei Sun5Jiankai Sun6Hongxuan Zhao7School of Civil Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266525, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266525, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266525, ChinaLaoshan Laboratory, Qingdao 266237, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266525, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266525, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266525, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266525, ChinaPile foundations are commonly used to support structures subjected to complex loading conditions. In seismic-prone regions, understanding the soil–pile interaction under cyclic loading is essential for ensuring the stability and safety of these foundations. Numerical modeling is an effective tool for predicting the nonlinear behavior of soil under seismic excitation, but selecting an appropriate constitutive model remains a significant challenge. This study investigates the seismic behavior of pile groups embedded in soft clay using advanced finite element analysis. The piles are modeled as aluminum with a linear elastic response and are analyzed within a soil domain characterized by two kinematic hardening constitutive models based on the Von Mises failure criterion. Model parameters are calibrated using a combination of experimental and numerical data. The study also examines the influence of pile spacing within the group on seismic response, revealing notable differences in the response patterns. The results show that the nonlinear kinematic hardening model provides a more accurate correlation with experimental centrifuge test results compared to the multilinear model. These findings contribute to enhancing the understanding of soil–pile interaction under seismic loading and improving the design of pile foundations.https://www.mdpi.com/2412-3811/10/6/134seismic behaviorsoft claykinematic hardening modelgroup pilefinite element analysis
spellingShingle Mohsen Saleh Asheghabadi
Wenchang Shang
Junwei Liu
Haibao Feng
Lingyun Feng
Tengfei Sun
Jiankai Sun
Hongxuan Zhao
Seismic Behavior of Pile Group Foundations in Soft Clay: Insights from Nonlinear Numerical Modeling
Infrastructures
seismic behavior
soft clay
kinematic hardening model
group pile
finite element analysis
title Seismic Behavior of Pile Group Foundations in Soft Clay: Insights from Nonlinear Numerical Modeling
title_full Seismic Behavior of Pile Group Foundations in Soft Clay: Insights from Nonlinear Numerical Modeling
title_fullStr Seismic Behavior of Pile Group Foundations in Soft Clay: Insights from Nonlinear Numerical Modeling
title_full_unstemmed Seismic Behavior of Pile Group Foundations in Soft Clay: Insights from Nonlinear Numerical Modeling
title_short Seismic Behavior of Pile Group Foundations in Soft Clay: Insights from Nonlinear Numerical Modeling
title_sort seismic behavior of pile group foundations in soft clay insights from nonlinear numerical modeling
topic seismic behavior
soft clay
kinematic hardening model
group pile
finite element analysis
url https://www.mdpi.com/2412-3811/10/6/134
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AT junweiliu seismicbehaviorofpilegroupfoundationsinsoftclayinsightsfromnonlinearnumericalmodeling
AT haibaofeng seismicbehaviorofpilegroupfoundationsinsoftclayinsightsfromnonlinearnumericalmodeling
AT lingyunfeng seismicbehaviorofpilegroupfoundationsinsoftclayinsightsfromnonlinearnumericalmodeling
AT tengfeisun seismicbehaviorofpilegroupfoundationsinsoftclayinsightsfromnonlinearnumericalmodeling
AT jiankaisun seismicbehaviorofpilegroupfoundationsinsoftclayinsightsfromnonlinearnumericalmodeling
AT hongxuanzhao seismicbehaviorofpilegroupfoundationsinsoftclayinsightsfromnonlinearnumericalmodeling