ISAFE 2013 - Comparison of Four Pile Group Analysis Programs

COMPARISON OF FOUR PILE GROUP ANALYSIS PROGRAMS

 ISAFE 2013

STEFANO PIRRELLO

Geotechnical Engineer, Coffey Geotechnics, NSW, Australia.
E-mail: stefano_pirrello@coffey.com (now deepfoundationsolutions@gmail.com)

HARRY G. POULOS

Senior Principal, Coffey Geotechnics, NSW, Australia.
E-mail: harry_poulos@coffey.com

Four computer programs CLAP, PIGLET, REPUTE and PLAXIS 3D, have been used for the analysis of pile groups subjected to applied loadings. The programs are briefly introduced and the basis of each program is described. The limitations of each program are discussed, together with the way in which the soil, piles and pile caps are modeled. The programs are first compared for the analysis of an idealized group of piles founded in a relatively simple geotechnical model. Loads applied to the model comprise vertical and horizontal forces, with longitudinal, transverse and torsion moment also being applied. Pile deflection, rotation and settlements under these loads were compared. Generally similar results are found using the four programs for this case, except for the axial loads predicted by PIGLET. The programs have then been used for a real case history, a 151 storey super high-rise building in Songdo, Korea. The assessment of the geotechnical parameters is described and the same parameters have been used in all programs. The computed deflections, rotations and settlement for the real case are found to agree reasonably well, although there are some differences from the programs in which modeling of the real soil profile is necessarily simplified.

Keywords: Analysis, Incheon tower, Deep foundations, Piles, Deflection, Rotation, Settlement.