A Micro-Mechanical Study of the Interaction of Saturated Granular Soils with Pile Foundation

A coupled continuum-discrete model is used to analyze the interaction of saturated granular soils with pile foundation. A Lagrangian discrete element formulation is used to model the soil solid phase as an assemblage of particles. The fluid phase is idealized using an Eulerian formulation based on averaged Navier-Stokes equations. The interphase momentum transfer is quantified using established relationships. The finite beam-element technique is employed to model the pile foundation. The soil discrete elements and pile structural finite elements interact in a nonlinear frictional fashion at their interface. Numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the response of a saturated soil-pile foundation system when subjected to a dynamic base excitation.