Based on the variational principle

the total potential energy of a general group of laterally loaded barrettes is established. By using the Gauss double numerical integration method

it is expanded to a simple equation of matrix form

in which a finite series is used to denote the lateral displacement of barrette shaft

Mindlin’s point-to-point displacement solution is applied to describe the force-displacement relationship of ground soils; and allowance is made for the nonuniform distributions

of both the lateral soil resistance at the front of and the lateral shaft resistance on the sides of the barrette shaft

along the perimeter of the barrette. In light of the principle of minimum potential energy

an explicit solution is obtained for the load-displacement relationship of laterally loaded barrette groups. The proposed solution is verified from the comparisons of the calculated results made with the three-dimensional finite element method.