Settlement prediction and behaviour of pile foundations in deep clayey soil deposits

A new measurement technique is used to determine the settlement of bridge pile foundation and the thickness of deep compressed soft layer. The finite element Plaxis 3D foundation program is used in the analysis with a proposed empirical equation to modify the input parameters represented by the soil compression modulus. The results of the numerical analysis using the proposed empirical equation provide insight to the settlement analysis of pile groups in soft clayey soils; consequently, the finite element Plaxis 3D program can be a useful tool for numerical analysis. The numerical analysis is modified by adjusting the calculation of compression modulus from those obtained under pressure between 100-200 kPa by which the results of the settlement are modified and thus matching the realistic measurements. The absolute error is 3 mm which is accepted compared with the last researches. This scenario can be applied for the similar problems in the theoretical applications of deep foundations.