3D Numerical Analysis of

Anti-Slide Pile Resistance Effect

And Coupling Effect of Soil-Pile
Interaction
Xingang Wang 1,a , Chong Ma 1, b, Baoqin Lian1, Bin Hu1 and
Hongbing Zhan 1
1
Department of Engineering, China University of Geosciences,
Hubie, Wuhan 430074, China
a
1131452103@qq.com, b 328602223@qq.com

ABSTRACT
The phenomenon of the soil arch effect of anti-slide pile be discussed. Anti-slide pile resistance
effect and soil-pile interaction being analyzed by three-dimensional numerical software
FLAC3D With engineering examples as the background to establish numerical model, and
considering the pile soil contact surface element properties. Demonstrates the reliability of
numerical model by compared to the displacement of sliding zone area monitoring and scene of
the field observation data analysis anti-slide pile resistance slide effect. After anti-slide pile
construction, displacement and shear stress nephogram mutagenesis as oblique type of "L"
shape cloud, anti-slide pile resistance slip effect is obvious. Can used the effect of soil-pile
interaction effective prevention and control of landslides that was formed by anti-slide pile and
soil formation, to optimize the design of the anti-slide pile when the anti-slide pile design,
provides a feasible analysis method for the study of landslide prevention and control effect that
has the same engineering geological conditions.
KEYWORDS: anti-slide pile; 3D numerical analysis; pile-soil interface; soil-pile
interaction

INTRODUCTION
Landslide is a common geological disasters is more outstanding in the three gorges
reservoir's areas, heavy rains and reservoir water level and other factors contributed to this
disaster occurs, often cause serious losses. slide-resistant pile is an effective resistance sliding
structure that pile body area is large and using the interaction of pilesliding body and sliding
bed to resistance sliping[1]. When the sliding body after pile act on the pile, soil arch effect was
formed because of the differences physical properties between two kinds of medium pile and
soil led to the "tight" wedge effect between the soil particles[2]. Can used the effect of soil-pile
interaction effective prevention and control of landslides that was formed by anti-slide pile and

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 Vol. 19 [2014], Bund. R 4134

soil formation. The thrust after the landslide out-of-levelin the spatial distributioncoupling
analysis of piles-soil in three dimensional space that Considering the interaction among piles,
sliding body and sliding bed was rare in the literature[3-17] this paper analysis of the
three-dimensional space's anti-slide pile resistance effect and coupling effect of soil-pile
interaction by uses the three-dimensional numerical analysis software FLAC3D.

ENGINEERING EXAMPLE AND 3D NUMERICAL

MODEL
Three-dimensional numerical model take Majiagou 1# landslide that in three gorges
reservoir area for example, 1# landslide is located in the left bank of the Yangtze river, about
2.1 km away from the Yangtze river estuary, its leading edge is below the 135m water level,
leading edge forming a steep slope due to river erosion, is in unstable condition, Has to
governance the anti-slide measures (Fig. 1).

Selected the central axis section in 1# landslide for numerical calculation model consider
effect between pile and soil, pile and pileso selection four piles that in the central of landslide
and the construction has been finished to analyze the anti-slide pile resistance effect and
coupling effect of soil-pile interaction. Pile length is 18m pile spacing section is 2m3m5m
(fig 2). The model using Ansys software pretreatment, local fine mesh in the study area of pile
and soil and slippery body sliding zone locationafter that import the model to FLAC3D
softwarethe model totals has 117544 units and 118917 nodes. In the simulation of the actual
situation of pile - soil interaction should be considered with slip between pile and soil contact,
therefore, set the pile soil contact surface between the two (fig 3). Pile-soil contact surface
parameters is a key, Potyondy and Acer's research shows that the value of the anti-slide pile and
soil friction angle between soil's 0.6~0.7 times ,cohesive force value is adjacent soils 0.7~ 0.8
times is more appropriate. The normal stiffness and shear stiffness take "the hard" equivalent
stiffness of the adjacent area around 10 times: Kn and Ks can use the following formula[18] :

Kn =
Ks =
10 max[( K + 4G / 3) / zmin ] (1)

where Kn and Ks is the normal stiffness and shear stiffness(MPa), zmin is the minimal size in
the connection area on contact surface normaldimensionless. Obtained the pile soil contact
surface parameters in Table 1, where C is cohesive force, is friction angle:
 Vol. 19 [2014], Bund. R 4135

Pile Pile 4

Pile 1

Pile 2
Pile-soil interface
Pile 3

Figure 3: Pile-soil interface in the model

Table 1: Calculation parameters of pile-soils interface

contact surface Kn(G Ks(GP
C(MPa) ()
type Pa) a)
silt 0.22 0.22 0.035 23.1
gravelly soil 0.107 0.107 0.013 10.2
sliding zone 0.962 0.962 0.035 24.5
mud rock 30.928 30.928 1.512 22.6

silt soil pile

gravelly soil
gravelly soil

sliding zone mud rock

Pile position
mud rock
central axis of
1# landslide
mud rock
Landslide boundary

Figure 1: Sketch of Majiagou No. I landslide Figure 2: Three-dimensional model of anti-slide pile

The calculating model's bottom surface, left and right sides, pre and post side be fixed, the
top surface be freeed. The result of calculation's accuracy is related to the model's parameters of
each medium, rock and earth mass be used for the mohr coulomb modelanti-slide pile serve as
the elastic modelthe parameters obtained by laboratory test.
 Vol. 19 [2014], Bund. R 4136

THREE-DIMENSIONAL NUMERICAL ANALYSIS

Set up a series of monitoring stations in the sliding surface location to calculation and analysis,
using 3D numerical model to demonstrates the reliabilitycontrast the Landslide model that not
using anti-slide pile or using anti-slide pile. The results according to the calculation are as follows:

Horizontal displacement analysis

FLAC3D3.00
Step 18869 Model Perspective
11:22:31 Sun Feb 03 2013

Center: Rotation:
X: 2.645e+002 X: 90.000
Y: 9.507e+001 Y: 0.000
Z: 1.500e+001 Z: 0.000
Dist: 1.558e+003 Mag.: 1
Ang.: 22.500

Contour of X-Displacement
Magfac = 0.000e+000
-1.5046e-001 to -1.4000e-001
-1.4000e-001 to -1.2000e-001
-1.2000e-001 to -1.0000e-001
-1.0000e-001 to -8.0000e-002
-8.0000e-002 to -6.0000e-002 Y
-6.0000e-002 to -4.0000e-002
-4.0000e-002 to -2.0000e-002
-2.0000e-002 to 0.0000e+000
0.0000e+000 to 1.1419e-002 Z X
Interval = 2.0e-002
Axes
Linestyle

Itasca Consulting Group, Inc.

Minneapolis, MN USA

Figure 4: Contour map of displacement in nature

FLAC3D3.00
Step 12695 Model Perspective
13:51:09 Fri May 18 2012

Center: Rotation:
X: 2.645e+002 X: 90.000
Y: 2.810e+002 Y: 0.000
Z: 1.500e+001 Z: 0.000
Dist: 1.558e+003 Mag.: 1
Ang.: 22.500

Contour of X-Displacement
Magfac = 0.000e+000
-1.2160e-001 to -1.2000e-001
-1.2000e-001 to -1.0000e-001
-1.0000e-001 to -8.0000e-002
-8.0000e-002 to -6.0000e-002
-6.0000e-002 to -4.0000e-002
-4.0000e-002 to -2.0000e-002
-2.0000e-002 to 0.0000e+000
0.0000e+000 to 1.6522e-002
Interval = 2.0e-002
Axes
Linestyle

X
Z
Itasca Consulting Group, Inc.
Minneapolis, MN USA

Figure 5: Displacement after anti-slide pile constructing

 Vol. 19 [2014], Bund. R 4137

The local of natural slope landslide's trailing edge have 10cm displacement. The maximum
of the displacement is 15 cm (fig 4) in the landslide body that located in the landslide leading
edge. After the anti-slide pile construction, it can be seen from the contour map the
displacement of the landslide trailing edge is less than 6cm(fig 5), the displacement of the
landslide gradually to increase that in front of anti-slide pile. The maximum displacement is
12cm that located in the landslide leading edge, which accord with on-site field investigation in
March 2011 (fig 6). The Landslide trailing edge 's crack about 5 to 7cm,the maximum of
middle and lower's crack is 15cm, Illustrates the calculation result of the landslide model that
after anti-slide pile construction is believable. After anti-slide pile construction, displacement
nephogram mutagenesis oblique type of "L" shape cloud, anti-slide pile resistance slip effect is
obvious. The displacement of landslide is smaller than the pile not construction, the Contour
map of displacement mutagenesis as oblique type of "L" shape, that means the resistance slip
effect of anti-slide pile is obvious.

Slip crack

Slip crack

(a) The trailing edge 's crack (b) The middle and lower's crack
Figure 6: The measurement of crack figure after anti-slide pile construction

Shear stress analysis

From the shear stress nephogram (Fig. 7), the maximum shear stress of the slip band is
0.45MPa, maximum shear stress of the landslide mass is 6.6MPa that located at the bottom of
the ridge. After anti-slide pile construction, the maximum shear stress of slip band is less than
0.2MPa the shear stress increase around anti-slide pile. The Contour map of shear stress
mutagenesis as oblique type of "L" shape too, that means the resistance slip effect of anti-slide
pile is obvious. set up a series of monitoring points in the slip band position of that two models,
the monitoring point set between 3# and 4# pile in order to facilitate analysis the changes of
soil's displacement and stress between piles.
 Vol. 19 [2014], Bund. R 4138

FLAC3D3.00
Step 18869 Model Perspective
13:48:34 Fri May 18 2012
Center: Rotation:
X: 2.645e+002 X: 90.000
Y: 1.199e+002 Y: 0.000
Z: 1.500e+001 Z: 0.000
Dist: 1.558e+003 Mag.: 1
Ang.: 22.500

Contour of SXX
Magfac = 0.000e+000
Gradient Calculation
-6.6076e+005 to -6.0000e+005
-6.0000e+005 to -5.0000e+005
-5.0000e+005 to -4.0000e+005
-4.0000e+005 to -3.0000e+005
-3.0000e+005 to -2.0000e+005 Y
-2.0000e+005 to -1.0000e+005
-1.0000e+005 to 0.0000e+000
0.0000e+000 to 3.4559e+004
Interval = 1.0e+005 Z X
Axes
Linestyle

Figure 7: Contour map of shear stress in nature

FLAC3D3.00
Step 12695 Model Perspective
13:55:12 Fri May 18 2012
Center: Rotation:
X: 2.562e+002 X: 90.000
Y: 1.303e+002 Y: 0.000
Z: 1.500e+001 Z: 0.000
Dist: 1.558e+003 Mag.: 1
Ang.: 22.500

Contour of SXX
Magfac = 0.000e+000
Gradient Calculation
-1.5645e+006 to -1.4000e+006
-1.4000e+006 to -1.2000e+006
-1.2000e+006 to -1.0000e+006
-1.0000e+006 to -8.0000e+005
-8.0000e+005 to -6.0000e+005
-6.0000e+005 to -4.0000e+005 Y
-4.0000e+005 to -2.0000e+005
-2.0000e+005 to 0.0000e+000
0.0000e+000 to 2.0000e+005
2.0000e+005 to 2.0532e+005 Z X
Interval = 2.0e+005
Axes
Linestyle

Figure 8: Contour map of shear stress after anti-slide pile construction

Monitoring result analysis

Set up a series of monitoring points in the slip band position of that two models, the
monitoring point set between 3# and 4# pile in order to facilitate analysis the changes of soil's
displacement and stress that between piles. The anti-slide pile's position is between 240~243m
in the x direction. By the fig 9, anti-slide pile has obvious resistance slide effect, it's makes the
X direction displacement decreases obviously, especially near the pile, from 90mm that the pile
pre-construction changed to under 10mm when the pile after-construction. the shear stress
value changed small in the landslide leading edge whatever the pile construction or not, after
 Vol. 19 [2014], Bund. R 4139

the pile construction the shear stress value of soil nearby the pile is increased 6 times than
there without pile, in the Landslide trailing edge the shear stress value of the pile
after-construction is higher that pre-construction, analysis that the pile play a important part in
resistance slide effect, Lead to the soil that after pile resistance sliding, the pile and soil
"coupling" resistance slip.

0.10
no pile
have pile
Y- x-direction displacement(m)

0.08

0.06

0.04

0.02

0.00
0 100 200 300 400 500
X- sliding zone monitoring location(m)

Figure 9: Horizontal displacement analysis of sliding zones monitoring stations

700000

600000 No pile
have pile
Y- shearing strength(Pa)

500000

400000

300000

200000

100000

0
0 100 200 300 400 500
X -sliding zone monitoring location(m)

Figure 10: Shear stress analysis of sliding zones monitoring stations

 Vol. 19 [2014], Bund. R 4140

CONCLUSION
(1). Taking Majiagou 1# landslide as an example, establish numerical model, and
considering the pile-soil contact surface properties, set up a series of monitoring point in
sliding zone Analysis of the anti-slide pile resistance slide effectcompared to the wild field
observation data demonstrates the reliability of numerical model.

(2). After the anti-slide pile construction, the maximum displacement of the landslide is
smaller than before, the contour map of displacement and shear stress mutagenesis as oblique
type of "L" shape, that means the resistance slip effect of anti-slide pile is obvious.

(3). Monitoring results shows, anti-slide pile has obvious resistance slide effect, make the X
direction displacement decreases obviously, especially near the pile, the pile and soil
"coupling" resistance slip.

(4). Can use the three-dimensional numerical analysis software FLAC3D to analysis the
anti-slide pile resistance effect and coupling effect of soil-pile interactionprovides a feasible
analysis method for the study of landslide prevention and control effect that has the same
engineering geological conditions.

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