Numerical investigation of dual-row batter pile wall in deep excavation

To evaluate the performance of dual-row batter pile wall (DRBPW) in deep excavations, a three-dimensional numerical model was established. The plastic hardening (PH) constitutive model in FLAC(3D) was adopted, considering the hardening property of the soil. A series of parametric study was conducted to investigate the effect of different factors. By analyzing the maximum lateral displacement, the pile shaft deflection and bending moment of both the leading and trailing row, the effect of inclination angle, pile diameter, penetration depth, and row spacing on the behavior of DRBPW was determined. The following conclusions could be drawn: (1) The bearing capacity of DRBPW is quite larger than that of the dual-row vertical pile wall (DRVPW). With the increase of inclination angle, a substantial reduction of lateral displacement could be observed. However, the beneficial role of batter pile is almost negligible when the inclination angle is not larger than 5 degrees. The recommended inclination degree of the batter pile is 10 degrees to 15 degrees. (2) The maximum displacement of the leading and trailing rows lies at a distance below the pile cap, while the maximum bending moment is located at a small distance below the dredging line. The maximum bending moment of the leading pile is approximately twice that of the trailing one, thereby indicating that the leading pile bear more lateral earth pressure than the trailing pile. (3) The pile diameter, penetration depth and row spacing should be maintained in a suitable range; otherwise, the DRBPW may fail earlier than expected. The slender ratios is recommend to be set not larger than 30. The penetration ratio should not be less than 0.22. The optimal row spacing for the DRBPW is four times the diameter.