This work presents a mixed Finite Element Method/Boundary Element Method formulation for the analysis of plate-pile-soil interaction problems. In this formulation, the plate is modelled by finite elements using DKT (Discrete Kirchhoff Theory) and HSM (Hybrid Stress Model) elements and the soil is modelled as an elastic half space by the boundary element method. The pile is represented by only one element, with 3 nodal points, and shear force along the pile is approximated by a second degree polynomial. The pile-tip stress is assumed to be constant over the cross-section and a further nodal point is located there. The interface plate-soil is divided into a triangular boundary element mesh coincident with the finite element mesh for the plate and the subgrade traction is assumed to vary linearly across each element. The subgrade tractions are eliminated from the two systems of equations obtained from FEM and BEM resulting in the governing system of equation for plate-pile-soil interactions problems. By solving this set of equations, the nodal displacements, the load on the piles and the subgrade tractions are calculated. Moreover, this formulation allows also the analysis of pile groups with and without ground-contacting rigid and flexible caps. Numerical results are presented for plate-soil, pile-soil and plate-pile-soil interactions. The results are close to those from much more elaborate analysis.

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