Discrete Element and Experimental Investigations of the Earth Pressure Distribution on Cylindrical Shafts

Experimental and numerical studies have been conducted to investigate the earth pressure distribution on cylindrical shafts in soft ground. A small-scale laboratory setup that involves a mechanically adjustable lining installed in granular material under an axisymmetric condition is first described. The earth pressure acting on the shaft and the surface displacements are measured for different induced wall movements. Numerical modeling is then performed using the discrete element method to allow for the simulation of a large soil displacement and particle rearrangement near the shaft wall. The experimental and numerical results are summarized and compared against previously published theoretical solutions. The shaft-soil interaction is discussed, and conclusions regarding soil failure and the earth pressure distributions in both the radial and circumferential directions are presented.