Introduction

The p-y curve (Fig 1a) method and p-multiplier (Fig 1c), which implies a group effect (Fig 1b), are widely used to analyze the nonlinear behaviors of laterally loaded pile groups. Factors affecting p-multiplier includes soil properties as well as group pile geometry and configuration. However, research on the change in p-multiplier corresponding to soil properties has not been conducted well. 

In this study, in order to evaluate the effect of soil properties on the p-y curves and group effect in a laterally-loaded pile group installed in sandy soil, numerical analysis for a single pile and 3×3 pile group installed in loose, medium, and dense sand, was performed using the 3D numerical analysis program, Plaxis 3D. A Matlab code [Link] was made to conduct post-processing of the numerical analysis result to automatically obtain p-y curves and p-multiplier (Fig. 1.1). 

Publication

• J. Jung; Yongjin Choi; Jaehun Ahn. Evaluation of p-y Curves for Group Piles in Cohesive Soil Based on 3D Numerical Analysis. Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation 2021, 21(6), 193-200. https://doi.org/10.9798/KOSHAM.2021.21.6.193

• Yongjin Choi; Jaehun Ahn. Evaluation of p-y Curves and p-multiplier of Pile Groups Corresponding to Sand Properties Change Based on 3D Numerical Analysis. Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation 2020, 20(4), 207-217.  https://doi.org/10.9798/KOSHAM.2020.20.4.207 

• Matlab script available here