Evaluation of Reinforcement of a Pile by Cement-Mixed Soil Improvement Using Model Tests and 3D Elasto-Plastic FEM Simulation

Damage to a foundation structure caused by an earthquake affects the continued use of a building. However, there is a lack of established methods for reinforcing existing foundations. This study develops a pile reinforcement method for existing buildings based on ground improvement, which is a simple repair and reinforcement method. A model-scale simple beam bending test, which considers the failure mode of the piles, is conducted to examine the behavior of a composite structure of piles and cement-mixed soil. The experimental values are simulated using a three-dimensional static elasto-plastic finite element method simulation. The distribution of bending strain at various depths in a model-scale horizontal loading test using a soil tank is obtained. The depth at which the maximum bending strain occurs in the experiment is simulated in the simulation. Further our research will continue with the goal of this study, which is to simulate the full-scale test in a 3D static elasto-plastic FEM.