Modelling of soil-structure interaction for a piled bridge abutment in plane strain FEM analyses

Full-height piled bridge abutments constructed on soft clay are prone to so il-structure interaction effects. A series of geotechnical centrifuge tests of this type of structure has been undertaken, and an accompanying series of plane strain finite element analyses are reported. Some aspects of the s tructure do not conform to a plane strain analysis (most notably the piles) , and the methods used to incorporate this soil-structure interaction are d escribed. Success of the methods is illustrated by good comparison with the centrifuge test results, and the numerical analyses revealed interaction e ffects which could not be specifically identified in the centrifuge tests. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.