An Analytical Model for Axially‐Loaded Floating Piles in Continuously Inhomogeneous and Two‐Layer Soils

ABSTRACT This work presents elastic analytical solutions for the response of axially‐loaded floating piles embedded in vertically continuous inhomogeneous and two‐layer soil deposits. The proposed model extends previous works of some of the authors for end‐bearing piles to floating piles. For smoothly inhomogeneous soils, a generalised Fourier series faithfully approximates the soil modes, enhancing computational efficiency. For two‐layer soils, the problem is addressed through a formulation of a piecewise eigenvalue problem that extends the classical homogeneous‐soil approach to layered media and satisfies the compatibility of stresses and displacements at the layer interface. This allows the soil modes to be represented by simple trigonometric functions in each layer. The soil is modelled as an approximate Tajimi‐type continuum, accounting solely for the effect of the vertical soil displacement component on the stresses. This reduces the two governing equations from classic axisymmetric elastic medium to a single vertical equilibrium equation. The soil column under the pile tip is treated as a pseudo pile, with properties identical to those of the surrounding soil. Both the actual and the pseudo pile segments are idealised as axially deforming rods following the strength‐of‐materials theory. The predictive capability of the proposed model is verified with comparisons against results obtained from available analytical and numerical solutions in terms of pile head stiffness, pile normal forces, and vertical shear stresses at the soil‐pile interface. The effect of soil inhomogeneity on the load‐transfer mechanism and pile response is investigated through an extensive parametric analysis.