Nonlinear analysis of interaction between flexible pile group and soil

Using the nonlinear load transfer function for pile side soil and the linear load transfer function for pile end soil, a combined approach of the incremental load transfer matrix method and the approximate differential equation solution method is presented for the nonlinear analysis of interaction between flexible pile group and soil. The proposed method provides an effective approach for the solution of the nonlinear interaction between flexible pile group under rigid platform and surrounding soil. To verify the accuracy of the proposed method, a static load test for a nine-pile group under a rigid platform is carried out. The finite element analysis is also conducted for comparison purposes. It is found that the results from the proposed method match very well with those from the experimental test and are better in comparison with the finite element method.