Define Piles

Pile support can be modeled in various ways in Phase2, depending on whether or not you wish to consider slip at the interface of the pile and the surrounding soil or rock.

The three general methods of modeling pile support in Phase2 are:

In all cases, the basic support properties of the pile are modeled as a liner (i.e. beam elements are used to model the strength and stiffness of the pile).

Modeling a Pile as a regular liner

No Slip - the simplest way to model a pile, is to use the Add Liner option to apply a liner to a boundary (Excavation, External, Material or Stage boundaries). In this case, slip at the interface is not considered. The pile (liner) is considered to be fully bonded to the rock or soil, and no joint will exist at the interface. For this method:

  1. Define the strength and stiffness properties of the pile with the Define Liner option.

  2. Use the Add Liner option to apply the liner (pile) to the desired boundaries. You can apply liners to Excavation, External, Material or Stage boundaries.

Modeling a Pile as a Composite Liner

Slip on one side - if you want to model a pile where slip is allowed on one side, and the other side is fully bonded, you can use the Composite Liner option. A Composite Liner in Phase2 allows you to include a single joint, between the rock or soil and the liner. A Composite Liner can also consist of up to 4 layers of material. For this method:

  1. Define the strength and stiffness properties of the pile with the Define Liner option.

  2. Define the properties of the joint with the Define Joint option.

  3. Define the overall properties of the composite liner (i.e. select the joint / liner combination), with the Define Composite option.

  4. Use the Add Liner option to apply the composite liner (pile) to the desired boundaries. You can apply liners to Excavation, External, Material or Stage boundaries.

Modeling a Pile as a Structural Interface

Slip on both sides - in the most general case, slip on BOTH sides of the pile can be considered, by using the Structural Interface option to model a pile. For this method:

  1. Define the location of the pile by adding a Structural Interface boundary with the Add Structural Interface option.

  2. Define the strength and stiffness properties of the pile with the Define Liner option.

  3. Define the properties of the joints on either side of the pile, with the Define Joint option (i.e. the properties of the pile/soil or pile/rock interface).

  4. Define the overall properties of the pile (i.e. select the joint / liner / joint combination), with the Define Structural Interface option.

  5. If necessary assign the properties to the Structural Interface boundary with the Assign option.

NOTE: with the Structural Interface method, you do NOT use the Add Liner option to apply the liner to the boundary. The support element is implicitly included as part of the Structural Interface.