Finite element analysis of axial bearing capacity behavior of pile foundation in calcareous sediments

In order to develop a rational numerical analysis and design method for predicting the bearing capacity and deformation of the pile foundation on Ryukyu calcareous sediments, a series of nonlinear elastoplastic finite element analyses are conducted to simulate pile vertical loading tests. In the finite element analyses, the calcareous soil is modeled as an elastic perfectly plastic material. The load and displacement relation of pile foundation is analyzed with different strength reduction factors for the interface between the pile and calcareous sediment. The analytical results indicate that the strength reduction factor significantly affects the load and displacement of pile foundation on Ryukyu calcareous sediments; and that the proposed FEM could reasonably simulated the experimental results when an appropriate strength reduction factor is used. In addition, the soil plugging effect for open-ended piles is also examined from the FEM results.