The <i>p-y</i> curve method and </i>p</i>-multiplier (<i>P<sub>m</sub></i>), which implies a group effect, are widely used to analyze the nonlinear behaviors of laterally loaded pile groups. Factors affecting <i>P<sub>m</sub></i> includes soil properties as well as group pile geometry and configuration. However, research on the change in <i>P<sub>m</sub></i> corresponding to soil properties has not been conducted well. In this study, in order to evaluate the effect of soil properties on the group effect in a laterally-loaded pile group installed in sandy soil, numerical analysis for a single pile and 3×3 pile group installed in loose, medium, and dense sand, was performed using the 3D numerical analysis program, Plaxis 3D. Among the factors considered in this study, the column location of the pile was the most dominant factor for <i>P<sub>m</sub></i>. The effect of the sand property change on <i>P<sub>m</sub></i> was not as significant as that of the column location of the pile. However, as the sand became denser and the friction angle increased, the group effect increased, leading to a decrease in <i>P<sub>m</sub></i> of approximately 0.1. This trend was similar to the result reported in a previous laboratory-scale experimental study.
Effect of Relative Density on Lateral Load Capacity of a Cyclic Laterally Loaded Pile in Sandy Soil
