Numerical Simulation on the Sinking Process of Open Caisson with Particle Flow Code (PFC)

Sidewall pressure is important to open caisson design. However, FEM simulation for the sinking process of open caisson is quite difficult due to extremely large deformation including soil flow and solid boundary movement. In order to overcome this problem, Particle Flow Code (PFC), which is based upon discrete element method (DEM), was applied to simulate the whole sinking process of an open caisson using proposed load servo mechanism, and the variations of the sidewall pressure with sinking depth and elevation were investigated. The outcomes agree well with the in-situ observation data and the indoor experiment data, which verifies the feasibility of modeling the sinking process of open caissons using PFC and further studying their soil-structure interaction mechanisms from the microscopic prospect.