Pile-supported embankments are widely used in foundation treatments, owing to their safety, efficient construction, and economy. The soil-arching effect is a key load-transferring mechanism in a pile-supported embankment, and it reduces the even settlement on the embankment surface. In recent years, researchers and engineers have conducted extensive research on the soil-arching phenomenon in pile-supported embankments. This paper reviews relevant studies on the effect of soil arching in pile-supported embankments in order to better understand the mechanism and influencing factors of the distribution of the arching effect. First, the development history of the practice and theory related to pile-supported embankments is discussed. This is followed by a review of theoretical studies on the soil-arching effect, load distribution and soil deformation on pile-supported embankments (with and without geogrid reinforcement), and structures and factors influencing soil arching. The results of these studies are summarized, and finally, topics for future research are suggested, providing references for the design and maintenance of civil infrastructure.

The intensification of extreme weather phenomena, ranging from torrential downpours to protracted dry spells, which trigger fluctuations at the groundwater level, poses a grave threat to the stability of embankments, giving rise to an array of concerns including cracking and differential settlement. Consequently, it is crucial to embark on research targeted at uncovering the settlement and deformation behaviors of pile-supported embankments amidst changes in water levels. In tackling this dilemma, a series of direct shear tests were carried out across a range of wet–dry cyclic conditions. The results confirmed that the occurrence of wet–dry cycles significantly impacted the resilience of silty clay. Additionally, it was observed that the erosion of cohesion and the angle of internal friction initially diminished sharply, subsequently leveling off, with the first wet–dry cycle exerting the most substantial influence on soil strength. Employing a holistic pile-supported embankment model, simulations revealed that variations in the groundwater level, fluctuations therein, varying descent rates, and periodic shifts in the groundwater level could all prompt alterations in soil settlement between embankment piles and could augment the peak tensile stress applied to geogrids. In summary, the orthogonal experimental method was utilized, indicating that, in terms of impacting embankment settlement under periodic water-level changes, the factors ranked in descending order were the following: pile spacing, pile length, embankment height, and the height of the groundwater table.