CEL numerical modelling of helical pile installation observed in centrifuge tests
CEL numerical modelling of helical pile installation observed in centrifuge tests
Helical piles offer a practical solution for deep foundations, combining rapid and straightforward installation with the ability to support substantial loads, which makes them attractive for projects requiring both efficiency and high performance. Despite these practical advantages, the influence of the installation process is not yet fully understood. Accurate prediction of pile performance requires a detailed understanding of the soilpile interaction during installation, and in particular, the re-arrangement of the soil caused by the rotating helix, which is difficult to capture experimentally. This study aims to investigate the installation process of helical piles using advanced numerical simulations and to validate the results against centrifuge test data. The simulations are performed in Abaqus/Explicit, with the installation process modelled using the Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian (CEL) method, allowing accurate representation of large deformations and soil displacement. The comparison between numerical results and centrifuge measurements shows good agreement, demonstrating the reliability of the numerical method. These findings contribute to improving design methodologies and will be used in the future to further understand the installation effects on pile behaviour and to complement centrifuge experimental tests on helical piles.
Laurent Josseaume; Zheng Li; Luc Thorel; C. N. Abadie; Roxana Vasilescu
11th International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (ICPMG2026)
Special Session 5: Combination of numerical and physical modelling
https://doi.org/10.53243/ICPMG2026-391