“Soil arching” for piled embankments: insights from stress redistribution behaviour of DEM modelling

Lai, Han-Jiang; Zheng, Junjie; Cui, Ming-Juan; Chu, Jian

doi:10.1007/s11440-019-00902-x

Cited by 74 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Secondly, the larger width-to-horizontal SOF ratio (W/SOFx) in the R2xy and R2x8y4 series results in a more homogenised overall consolidation rate due to increased local averaging. The larger W/SOFx in the R2xy series also introduces soil arching effects [13,19,48,60], where the applied stresses are redistributed onto the stiffer parts that extend across the depth of the layer. The softer parts experience less stresses which reduces the likelihood of forming yielded zones, thus resulting in an increase in mean equivalent c v when the input strength COV increases to 0.6, Figs.…”

Section: Effects Of Spatially Variable Permeability On Clustered Soilsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An approach for modelling spatial variability in permeability of cement-admixed soil

Kek

Pan

et al. 2021

Acta Geotech.

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This paper presents a framework for modelling the random variation in permeability in cement-admixed soil based on the binder content variation and thereby relating the coefficient of permeability to the unconfined compressive strength of a cement-admixed clay. The strength–permeability relationship was subsequently implemented in random finite element method (RFEM). The effects of spatial variation in both strength and permeability of cement-admixed clays in RFEM is illustrated using two examples concerning one-dimensional consolidation. Parametric studies considering different coefficient of variation and scale of fluctuation configurations were performed. Results show that spatial variability of the cement-admixed clay considering variable permeability can significantly influence the overall consolidation rate, especially when the soil strength variability is high. However, the overall consolidation rates also depend largely on the prescribed scales of fluctuation; in cases where the variation is horizontally layered, stagnation in pore pressure dissipation may occur due to soft parts yielding.

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Section: Effects Of Spatially Variable Permeability On Clustered Soilsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An approach for modelling spatial variability in permeability of cement-admixed soil

Kek

Pan

et al. 2021

Acta Geotech.

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“…There are two major computational approaches to model pile-supported embankments. They are the continuum approach and discrete element modeling (e.g., [64][65][66]).…”

Section: Numerical Simulation Of Piled Embankmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Critical Review on the Performance of Pile-Supported Rail Embankments under Cyclic Loading: Numerical Modeling Approach

et al. 2021

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Searching for economical and practical solutions to increase any transport substructure’s protection and stability is critical for ensuring the long-term viability and adequate load-bearing capacity. Piles are increasingly being used as an economical and environmentally sustainable solution to enhance the strength of soft subgrade soils on which embankments are raised. As per the available literature, there are two main strategies used to explain railway embankments’ performance: experimental approaches and numerical simulations on a broad scale. The purpose of this study is to examine the state-of-the-art literature on numerical modeling methods adopted to assess the performance of pile-supported rail embankments subjected to cyclic loading. The paper addresses the main results from various numerical methods to explain the appropriate mechanisms associated with the load deformation response. It also presents the key issues and drawbacks of these numerical methods concerning rail embankment development while outlining the specific shortcomings and research gaps relevant to enhanced future design and analysis.

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“…Piled embankments have been widely adopted to overcome intolerable total or differential settlements, large lateral displacements of highway, and railway engineering, especially for embankments constructed over soft soils [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. Soil arching effect is a ubiquitous phenomenon occurred in the piled embankment to transfer the vertical stress from the relatively stiff pile to the softer soil due to the differential settlement [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Discrete Element Method (DEM) has been recently applied to simulate the soil arching in piled embankments [15,25,[33][34][35], which showed that DEM simulations can closely characterize the qualitative features of soil arching in piled embankments [35]. However, most of these DEM simulations still attempt to identify the soil arching according to the deformation pattern of the embankment, rather than the redistributions of the stress or contact force chains [15]. Generally, the soil arching formed in the piled embankments considerably enhanced the load transfer from the relatively stiff piles to the softer subsoil [5,[12][13][14][15][16][28][29][30]36].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, most of these DEM simulations still attempt to identify the soil arching according to the deformation pattern of the embankment, rather than the redistributions of the stress or contact force chains [15]. Generally, the soil arching formed in the piled embankments considerably enhanced the load transfer from the relatively stiff piles to the softer subsoil [5,[12][13][14][15][16][28][29][30]36]. In this regard, this study investigated the soil arching in piled embankments with the 2D DEM modeling software, Particle Flow Code in Two Dimensions (PFC 2D ), version 5.0, developed by Itasca [37].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Soil Arching of Piled Embankment in Equal Settlement Pattern: A Discrete Element Analysis

et al. 2021

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Soil arching, which occurs in the piled embankments, plays an important role in stress redistribution between the relatively soft subsoil and the stiffer piles. The formation of the soil arching depends on the differential settlement of the embankment fill above the pile and the subsoil. The soil arching effect is barely investigated in the literature from the perspective of differential settlement of piles and soils. Based on the discrete element method (DEM), this paper develops a classic trapdoor test model to investigate the differential settlement in piled embankment during the downward movement of the trapdoor, and to explore the formation mechanism of soil arching in equal settlement pattern by changing the width of the pile cap and the height of the embankment. Due to symmetry, only one section of the laboratory test model is simulated herein. It was found that the soil arching formed under the equal settlement pattern remained unchanged after a certain degree of development, and the height of the equal settlement did not change at 0.7(s-a), where s is the pile spacing, and a is the width of the pile cap. The height of the embankment (H) and the width of the pile cap (a) have a significant influence on the formation of the equal settlement pattern when the width of the trapdoor is kept constant. Both the decrease in “H” and the increase in “a” facilitate the differential settlement of the soil between the piles and the pile-soil, enabling the slip surface to develop upward gradually, thereby hindering the formation of the equal settlement pattern.

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“Soil arching” for piled embankments: insights from stress redistribution behaviour of DEM modelling

Cited by 74 publications

References 43 publications

An approach for modelling spatial variability in permeability of cement-admixed soil

An approach for modelling spatial variability in permeability of cement-admixed soil

A Critical Review on the Performance of Pile-Supported Rail Embankments under Cyclic Loading: Numerical Modeling Approach

Soil Arching of Piled Embankment in Equal Settlement Pattern: A Discrete Element Analysis

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