On the understanding of cyclic interaction mechanisms in an energy pile group

Summary Integrating ground heat exchanger elements into concrete piles is now considered as an efficient energy solution for heating/cooling of buildings. In addition to the static load of buildings, the concrete piles also undergo a cycle of thermal deformation. In the case of single energy pile, calculation methods already exist and permit to perform a proper geotechnical design. In the case of energy pile group, the thermo‐mechanical interactions within the group are more complex. Very few experimental results on the energy pile group are available so that numerical analysis can be an interesting way to provide complementary results about their behavior. This paper deals with a numerical analysis including a comparison between a single energy pile and an energy pile group with different boundary conditions at the pile head. In order to take into account the stress reversal induced by the thermal expansions and contractions, a cyclic elastoplastic constitutive model is introduced at the soil–pile interface. The analysis aims to give some insights about the long‐term cyclic interaction mechanisms in the energy pile group. Based on this qualitative study, some guidance can be brought for the design of energy piles in the case where group effects should be considered. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.