Behavior of Circular and Square Monopile Structures Installed in Normally Consolidated Clays

ABSTRACT: This paper investigates the stiffness and ultimate lateral capacity of circular and square pile/tower configurations with equal cross sectional areas installed in normally consolidated clays at shallow water depths. Three-dimensional numerical models are constructed for both pile/tower configurations. The piles are modeled as elastoplastic materials, while the soil is idealized using the Tresca failure criterion with a linearly increasing soil modulus. The undrained shear strength is related to the overconsolidation ratio and the effective vertical stress within the soil medium. The ultimate lateral capacities and the location of the maximum bending moments generated on the hollow pile/tower structures calculated from the numerical analyses are compared with the available solutions in the literature.