Modelling cyclic pile response using the Finite Element Method

The uncertainties involving the behaviour of piles normally require in situ loading tests in an attempt to gain insight into the load transfer mechanisms between the pile and the soil and to improve the predictions given by standard design methods. This paper looks at the real case of pile loading in dense sand in Dunkirk, France, using numerical analysis. A nonlinear elastic cyclic model is presented first, which is then calibrated using both results from extensive in situ testing at Dunkirk and laboratory testing. The formulation of this model and its main capabilities are explored and illustrated in a pile analysis context, both under monotonic and cyclic solicitations.