Numerical and theoretical analysis on soil arching effect of prefabricated piles as deep foundation pit supports

Abstract

This study presents a detailed investigation into the soil arching effects within deep foundation pits (DFPs), focusing on their mechanical behavior and implications for structural design. Through rigorous 3D finite element modeling and parameter sensitivity analyses, the research explores the formation, geometric characteristics, and spatial distribution of soil arching phenomena. The investigation encompasses the influence of key parameters such as elastic modulus, cohesion, and internal friction angle on the soil arching effect. The findings reveal that soil arching within DFPs exhibits distinct spatial characteristics, with the prominent arch axis shifting as excavation depth progresses. Optimal soil arching is observed when the pile spacing approximates three times the pile diameter, enhancing soil retention and minimizing deformation risks. Sensitivity analyses highlight the significant impact of soil parameters on soil arching behavior, underscoring the critical role of cohesive forces and internal friction angles in shaping arching characteristics. By elucidating the interplay between soil parameters and soil arching effects, the research provides insights for optimizing pile spacing and structural stability.

Keywords

Soil arching effect / Numerical analysis / Foundation pit support / Pile spacing

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Qianwei Xu: Data curation, Writing - original draft, Methodology. Jinli Xie: Writing - review & editing. Linhai Lu: Writing - original draft, Visualization, Investigation. Yongji Wang: Writing - original draft, Visualization, Investigation. Chaojun Wu: Writing - review & editing, Supervision. Qiang Meng: Writing - review & editing, Supervision.

Declaration of competing interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Acknowledgements

This work is supported by Key R&D Program of Shandong Province, China (Grant No. 2021CXGC011203).

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