The end load-settlement relationship of piles with asymmetric bottom expansion was investigated by centrifugal model tests and three-dimensional FEM simulation analysis. In the centrifugal model tests, the pile end load-settlement relationship was equivalent to symmetrically expanded piles, even under conditions where the pile shaft was located at the edge of the expanded bottom. Simulation analysis also showed that the vertical stress distributions under the expanded bottom surface were equivalent for symmetrically and asymmetrically expanded piles up to the ultimate bearing capacity, and that there was no significant difference in settlement, confirming the experimental results.
