Energy piles and numerical modeling

Geothermal energy piles represent a technology that offers significant structural and environmental advantages in sustainable energy systems. The settlement, stress distribution, and other geotechnical effects they induce in soils can be optimized based on soil properties and pile design. This thesis primarily aims to contribute to sustainable energy applications through the use of geothermal energy piles and to comprehensively examine the effects of this innovative technology on soils. A real field application of geothermal energy piles was selected within the scope of this thesis, and this application was numerically modeled. The finite element method (FEM) was employed as the foundation for the modeling, and Plaxis software was used to accurately analyze soil-pile interactions. Plaxis is a widely recognized and reliable tool for solving complex problems in soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering. This study thoroughly discusses the settlements, stress distributions, and other geotechnical impacts caused by energy piles in the soil. The thesis holds critical importance, particularly in evaluating the performance of energy piles based on soil properties and understanding the structural and environmental benefits of this technology. In this context, the findings will contribute to designing energy piles in a more efficient and safer manner. In conclusion, this study is a significant step towards understanding the impacts of geothermal energy piles—one of the sustainable energy systems—on soils and aims to guide the broader adoption of energy piles in practical applications.