Abstract
The plugging mechanism of infinitely-long open-ended piles is examined using numerical simulation of the wave propagation inside the soil plug and pile. It is shown that the key parameters for the plugging mechanism are the pile radius, the shape of the impact load, the shear wave velocity of the soil inside the pile, and the friction at the pile–soil interface. Consequently, the tendency of the pile to plug during driving can be assessed prior to the driving process by consideration of these key parameters. Existing one-dimensional models for the shaft response of open-ended piles are discussed and an improved model is presented. The differences between using one-dimensional models and finite element models to simulate the plugging process are examined. The differences are found to vary with the key parameters. Pile-in-pile and lumped-mass one-dimensional models are found to give satisfactory performance for some parameter combinations, while for others an axisymmetric finite element model must be used.
