Numerical studies of soil plugging in profiles with open cross-section with respect to the installation method

Bracing and soil plugging can occur during installation of open-ended piles. Especially, soil plugging in open-ended steel piles plays an important role regarding the calculation of axial bearing capacity Until today, it is hard to predict whether or not a soil plug forms inside the installed profile. Only little experimental data is available regarding soil plugging. In this paper numerical studies regarding the simulation of the penetration process of steel and open-ended piles are presented. By investigation of the horizontal stresses and the void ratio distribution inside the pile it will be concluded whether or not a soil plug is formed with respect to the installation method. Furthermore, it is possible to gain further insight into the mechanism of soil plugging inside open-ended piles.