Numerical investigation of soil plugging inside open-ended piles with respect to the installation method

The development of a soil plug inside an open-ended pile with respect to the installation method is examined using numerical simulations. In this paper, the penetration process of an open-ended tubular pile with diameter D = 61 cm into granular soil is investigated. The aim is to achieve a better understanding of the mechanisms of soil plugging inside open-ended piles with respect to the installation method. As an example, the horizontal stress distribution inside the tubular pile after installation shows significant increase depending on the installation method. The numerical results are compared to experimental data.