Response and Analysis of a Large Diameter Drilled Shaft Subjected to Lateral Loading

Numerical analyses are presented for the response of a 2 m diameter drilled shaft with flagpole configuration subjected to lateral loading. The analyses were conducted using three software programs: LPILE (subgrade reaction model), SWM (strain wedge model), and ABAQUS (3-D finite element model). The analyses consider nonlinear behavior of the reinforced concrete shaft, contact-slip-gap at the soil-shaft interface, and elastic-plastic properties of the soil. Numerical results are compared with measurements from a full-scale field test for the shaft and include lateral displacement at the top of the shaft, subgrade reaction (p-y) curves at three depths, and distributions of bending moment and shear force along the shaft.