Analysis of pile foundations using natural element method with disturbed state concept

The mesh-free method is a numerical technique that typically uses higher-order approximate functions. The mesh-free method exhibits higher accuracy for problems of large deformation compared to the traditional finite element method. In this paper, a computational model was undertaken using a mesh-free technique called the natural element method. Furthermore, the disturbed state concept was used to evaluate the response of piles, including their softening behaviour under axial uplift loading. The results of two field tests were considered to justify the accuracy of the proposed method. The results showed a strong correlation between the proposed numerical method and field tests.