It has been well recognized for a long time that one of major mechanisms for stabilizing soil due to lateral movements by passive piles is soil arching effect

which is a phenomenon of transfer of stresses from a yielding mass of soil onto the adjoining stationary part of soil. The finite element analysis software package

Plaxis 8.1

is used to study soil arching effects in passive piles and the effects of factors on the behavior of soil arching effect such as soil properties

piles spacing ratio

interface of soil-pile and piles arrangement are discussed in detail. It is shown that the ratio of pile spacing to pile diameter is the most important factor affecting soil arching effect.