Soil-structure interaction plays an important role in the behavior of structure under static or dynamic loading. It influences the behavior of soil, as well as the response of pile under loading. The analysis is highly essential for predicting a more accurate structural behavior so as to improve the safety of structures under extreme loading conditions. The soil-pile system behavior is predominantly nonlinear and this makes the problem complicated. In a laterally loaded pile the load is resisted by the soil-pile interaction effect, which in turn depends on soil properties, pile material, pile diameter, loading type and bed slope of ground. The difficulty in the accountability of the influencing factors necessitates a careful study on soil-structure interaction problem. The analysis became easier with the debut of powerful computers and simulation tools such as finite element analysis software. A detailed literature review on soil-structure interaction analysis of laterally loaded piles is presented in this paper.

The technique of reinforcing soil for foundation improvement is well established. This paper addresses the aspect of settlement of reinforced sand foundations, where the major part of the existing work deals with the aspect of bearing capacity. A detailed analysis is made paying individual attention to soil, reinforcement, and the interface between the two. A three-dimensional, nonlinear finite-element analysis is presented that uses a three-dimensional, nonlinear soil-reinforcement interface friction element, along with other threedimensional elements to model the system. The results of the analysis are compared with those from tests conducted in the laboratory and are found to be in good agreement. The studies lead to a better understanding of the behavior of the system at different stages of loading.

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The results of an experimental investigation to explore the effectiveness of coir geotextile vertical drains for ground improvement are reported. The time settlement behaviour of clayey soil, as influenced by coir geotextile drains, is summarised and the construction and installation details are also discussed. Two types of coir drains, a circular type and a rectangular type, using two varieties of coir geotextiles were tested in three configurations, namely a single drain and triangular and rectangular patterns. It was observed that the time for consolidation was very much reduced due to the installation of coir drains irrespective of the type of coir geotextile used, type of coir drain and the layout of the drains. Furthermore, in addition to ease of construction these drains are eco-friendly and will not pose any environmental problems.

In Kerala highways, where traditional dense graded mixtures are used for the surface courses, major distress is due to moisture induced damages. Development of stabilized Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA) mixtures for improved pavement performance has been the focus of research all over the world for the past few decades. Many successful attempts are made to stabilize SMA mixtures with synthetic fibres and polymers. India, being an agricultural economy produces fairly huge quantity of natural fibres such as coconut, sisal, banana, sugar cane, jute etc.. Now-a -days the disposal of waste plastics is a major concern for an eco-friendly sustainable environment. This paper focuses on the influence of additives like coir, sisal, banana fibres (natural fibres), waste plastics (waste material) and polypropylene (polymer) on the drain down characteristics of SMA mixtures. A preliminary investigation is conducted to characterize the materials used in this study. Drain down sensitivity tests are conducted to study the bleeding phenomena and drain down of SMA mixtures. Based on the drain down characteristics of the various stabilized mixtures it is inferred that the optimum fibre content is 0.3% by weight of mixture for all fibre mixtures irrespective of the type of fibre. For waste plastics and polypropylene stabilized SMA mixtures, the optimum additive contents are respectively 7% and 5% by weight of mixture. Due to the absorptive nature of fibres, fibre stabilizers are found to be more effective in reducing the drain down of the SMA mixture. The drain values for the waste plastics mix is within the required specification range. The coir fibre additive is the best among the fibres investigated. Sisal and banana fibre mixtures showed almost the same characteristics on stabilization.