Simplified analysis of offshore piles under cyclic lateral loads

A simple theory for predicting the response to cyclic lateral loading of piles deeply driven in either soft clay or sand is presented and formulas given for calculating, among other things, deflection and internal bending moment along the pile. The theory assumes the soil resistance to deflection to be characterized by an initial elastic reaction up to a critical deflection level, followed by a yield reaction independent of further deflection. Soil parameters are estimated and the theory is shown to provide good correlation with existing field data.