Finite element analysis for laterally loaded piles in sloping ground

The available analytical methods of analysis for laterally loaded piles in level ground cannot be directly applied to such piles in sloping ground. With the commercially available software, the simula- tion of the appropriate field condition is a challenging task, and the results are subjective. Therefore, it becomes essential to understand the process of development of a user-framed numerical formulation, which may be used easily as per the specific site conditions without depending on other indirect methods of analysis as well as on the software. In the present study, a detailed three-dimensional finite element formulation is presented for the analysis of laterally loaded piles in sloping ground developing the 18 node triangular prism elements. An application of the numerical formulation has been illustrated for the pile located at the crest of the slope and for the pile located at some edge distance from the crest. The specific examples show that at any given depth, the displacement and bending moment increase with an increase in slope of the ground, whereas they decrease with increasing edge distance.