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IBRACON Structures and Materials Journal • 2012 • vol. 5 • nº 2
Three-dimensional analysis of two-pile caps
In model 5, with the reduction in the cross-section area of the piles,
stiffness and load bearing capacity were similar to model 1.
5. Conclusions
The results of the numerical models showed that the reduction in
the piles supporting area has a direct influence in the pile caps load
bearing capacity and a non-negligible influence in pile caps stiffness.
In model 1, vertical displacement restraints in all pile’s basis gen-
erated a clamping effect that lead to structural stiffening. Despite
piles confining effect due to soil reaction along the piles, this fact
is not observed in pile caps. Pile caps are not tensile structures.
Therefore small displacements of the piles could cause great influ-
ence in pile caps stiffness. Therefore, this could become a critical
question and deserves considerable attention in laboratory tests
and numerical analysis.
Figure 10 – Details of model 1 tensile stresses [MPA] at the bottom of pile cap (ATENA)
Figure 11 – Tensile stresses [MPa] at the bottom of pile cap: (a) model 2; (b) model 3 (ATENA)
(a)
(b)