The feasibility of conducting a detailed analysis of pile driving using a finite element technique is examined in the present study, taking into account the nonlinear behavior of undrained clayey soil and tracing the penetration of the pile into the soil. A three-dimensional model is used for this purpose, which is handled by two-dimensional analysis due to the axisymmetric nature of the problem. A nonlinear time-domain dynamic analysis is preformed in which the hammer blows on the pile are represented by a periodic forcing function, and the pile penetration is treated using a frictional contact slide-line algorithm. The pile driveability and the response of the pile-soil system are examined, as well as the evolution of the state of stress in the soil and the development of pore-water pressure in the course of driving.
