Analysis of Piles in Soil Undergoing Lateral Movement

An analysis is described for the behavior of a pile in a soil undergoing lateral movements due to some external cause such as an embankment. Some of the factors affecting the development of pile displacements, moments, and reactions are examined, and it is found that the most important factors are the relative flexibility of the pile, the boundary conditions at the top and the tip, and the distribution of soil movement with depth along the pile. Limited comparisons between theoretical and observed pile behavior suggest that the theoretical approach could be applied with some degree of confidence to field problems.