The common practice of designing laterally loaded deep foundations is either by means of the lateral subgrade modulus concept or by the lateral load transfer method. The lateral subgrade modulus for sands is a function of several factors including deflection, which itself is usually an unknown. The lateral load transfer method is readily available to analyze laterally loaded deep foundations by using p-y curves. However, p-y curves are complicated mathematical relations and by no means offer a simple representation of the pile-soil interaction. The concept of the equivalent subgrade modulus for sands, in which the nonlinear pile-soil characteristics are implicitly taken into account, is presented. Relationships of equivalent subgrade modulus versus dimensionless lateral load factor for sands are developed, and a design procedure is proposed. Comparison of solutions bythe proposed design procedure and the lateral load transfer method is favorable.
Abstract