Buckling Loads of Fully Embedded Pile in Clayey Soil Based on the Finite Element Method

Pile foundations are a well-established means of transferring axial loads applied by a superstructure to rigid soil layers. However, the geometrical characteristics of piles can induce the appearance of the buckling phenomenon when using this type of foundation. Furthermore, buckling is a very important factor in the design of piles, especially when the upper layers are loose or weak soil. Pile buckling is currently one of the more complicated geotechnical problems that engineers and researchers have to deal with. The aim of this work is to analyze the effects of some geometrical, mechanical or geotechnical parameters into the value of critical buckling load of an axially loaded pile totally embedded in a homogeneous soil. In this study, numerical buckling analysis is investigated by using three dimensional finite element analysis. The buckling load was studied for concrete pile. while the modulus of soil reaction is adopted constantly with depth. The Numerical results of the buckling loads of fully embedded pile that obtained by the finite element method and Davisson method are also compared in this paper.