Behavior of Soil Surface Due to a Laterally Loaded Pile Based on a 1G Model Test and PIV

The horizontal resistance of piles is one of the most important factors in pile foundation design. However, most studies on pile–soil interactions have focused on pile stresses and rather than on ground deformation. Therefore, in this study, a horizontal loading test of a pile in a 1G gravity field and particle image velocimetry analyses were performed to observe ground behavior. As the pile head displacement increased, the deformation of the ground surface in front of the pile widened in an almost circular manner. The distribution of the maximum shear strain was complex and discontinuous, in contrast to the continuous displacement distribution. This discontinuous distribution was considered to be generated by multiple slip lines at several angles.