On the Use of Embedded Beam Formulations for the Numerical Analysis of Deep Foundations

Embedded beam formulations are ubiquitous with their ability to increase efficiency in the numerical analysis of slender structures, such as piles in geotechnical engineering or fiber-reinforced composites in materials science. Specific to geotechnical applications, defining soil-structure interaction along the centerline position impairs the general applicability of the classical embedded beam element (EB). The present contribution concerns the novel embedded beam formulation with interaction surface (EB-I), an enhanced version of the EB capable of improving well-known EB-limitations. In the paper, the numerical performance of both formulations is numerically validated, whereas emphasis is put on the evolution of kinematical field quantities as well as the resistance against torque. The results showcase considerable limits of the EB, which are significantly enhanced with the EB-I; this yields relative merits in terms of calculation fidelity and convergence rate, both aspects being of high importance in practice.