The mechanism of passive piles to keep out the soil layers that move laterally is mainly the soil arching effect between piles; this effect is a phenomenon to transfer stresses from a yielding mass onto the adjacent stationary part of the soils. The geotechnial analysis software package named Plaxis tunnel 3D1.2 is used to study the mechanism and behavior of soil arching effects in passive piles due to surcharge loads using three dimensional finite element method. Limitations of two-dimensional finite element analysis used by former researchers for soil arching effect are discussed in brief. Taking into account of the effect of passive pile displacement

the geotechnical two-dimensional finite element software Plaxis 8.2 is used to study the behavior of soil arching effect. And the effects of different factors on soil arching effect and the ratio of loads on piles to that on soils are depicted

such as soil properties

piles spacing ratio

passive pile displacement

and the interface behaviors between pile and soils.