Improved Methods for Forward and Inverse Solution of the Wave Equation for Piles

This dissertation discusses the development of an improved method for the static and dynamic analysis of driven piles for both forward and inverse solutions. The finite element routine developed was a three dimensional model of the hammer, pile and soil system. Soil properties were aggregated to simplify data entry and analysis. The three-dimensional model allowed for more accurate modeling of the various parts of the system and phenomena. Soil layering was flexible and could either follow the grid generation or be manually input. The forward method could either model the hammer explicitly or use a given force-time history, analyzing the pile response. The inverse method used an optimization technique to determine the aggregated soil properties of a given layering scheme. In both cases the static axial capacity of the pile was estimated using the same finite element model as the dynamic method and incrementally loaded. The results were then analyzed using accepted load test interpretation criteria.