New analytical solutions for longitudinal vibration of a floating pile in layered soils with radial heterogeneity

Based on the theory of wave propagation in three-dimensional (3D) continuum, a new analytical approach for the longitudinal vibration characteristics of a floating pile in layered soils with radial heterogeneity is developed by employing a viscous-type damping model. Firstly, an analytical solution for the longitudinal complex impedance at the pile head is deduced by employing the Laplace transform and complex stiffness technique with the compatibility conditions of the pile and radially inhomogeneous surrounding soil. Secondly, a semi-analytical solution in the time domain is further acquired by using the inverse Fourier transform method. Furthermore, the corresponding analytical solutions are validated through contrasts with previous solutions. Finally, parametric analyses are underway to investigate the effect of radial heterogeneity of surrounding soils on longitudinal vibration characteristics of floating piles. It is indicated that the proposed approach and corresponding solutions can provide a more wide-ranging application than the simple harmonic vibration for longitudinal vibration analysis of a floating pile in soils