The Influence of changes of soil parameters due to consolidation on the interaction of piles and soft soil layer

The problem of determination of lateral earth pressure of the soft soil on piles related to the safe design of construction founded on deep piles is presented in the paper. The examples of lateral earth pressure acting against piles are described, as well as properties and response of non-cohesive, cohesive and organic soils forming a soft layer subjected to unsymmetrical loading. Current approaches related to the determination of lateral earth pressure loading the piles are shown. The influence of consolidation on the change of soil strength parameters is presented as well as the application of own model and laboratory test results to the Winter-Leinekugel proposal of earth pressure calculation. Many years research have been carried out in cooperation with Prof. Helmut Mei\ssner from Kaiserslautern University, Germany under the common project entitled "The lateral earth pressure of soft soil acting against piles" as well as in the frame of grants of Polish Research Council.