• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.4 no.3
• /
• pp.173-190
• /
• 2012

With recent growing interests in the Performance-Based Seismic Design and Assessment Methodology, more realistic modeling of a structural system is deemed essential in analyzing, designing, and evaluating both newly constructed and existing buildings under seismic events. Consequently, a shallow foundation element becomes an essential constituent in the implementation of this seismic design and assessment methodology. In this paper, a contact interface fiber section element is presented for use in modeling soil-shallow foundation systems. The assumption of a rigid footing on a Winkler-based soil rests simply on the Euler-Bernoulli's hypothesis on sectional kinematics. Fiber section discretization is employed to represent the contact interface sectional response. The hyperbolic function provides an adequate means of representing the stress-deformation behavior of each soil fiber. The element is simple but efficient in representing salient features of the soil-shallow foundation system (sliding, settling, and rocking). Two experimental results from centrifuge-scale and full-scale cyclic loading tests on shallow foundations are used to illustrate the model characteristics and verify the accuracy of the model. Based on this comprehensive model validation, it is observed that the model performs quite satisfactorily. It resembles reasonably well the experimental results in terms of moment, shear, settlement, and rotation demands. The hysteretic behavior of moment-rotation responses and the rotation-settlement feature are also captured well by the model.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.81 no.3
• /
• pp.379-394
• /
• 2022

Shallow footings usually belonged to the category of thick plate structures. For accurate analysis of thick plates, the contribution of out-of-plane components of the stress tensor should be considered in the formulation. Most of the available shallow footing models are based on the classical plate theories, which usually neglect the effects of the out-of-plane stresses. In this study, a mixed-field plate finite element model (FEM) is developed for the analysis of shallow footings rested on soil foundations. In addition to displacement field variables, the out-of-plane components of the stress tensor are also assumed as a priori unknown variables. For modeling the interaction effect of the soil under and outside of the shallow footings, the modified Vlasov theory is used. The tensionless nature of the supporting soil foundation is taken into account by adopting an incremental, iterative procedure. The equality requirement of displacements at the interface between the shallow footing and soil is fulfilled using the penalty approach. For validation of the present mixed FEM, the obtained results are compared with the results of 3D FEM and previous results published in the literature. The comparisons show the present mixed FEM is an efficient and accurate tool for solving the problems of shallow footings rested on subsoil.

• Coupled systems mechanics
• /
• v.12 no.5
• /
• pp.461-479
• /
• 2023

The paper deals with the finite element modelling of the free vibration and structural behavior of a particular four-floor reinforced concrete structure subjected to static equivalent seismic loads and supported by a shallow foundation system called SNSF (Spider Net System Footing). The two FE models are a simple 2D Matlab model and a detailed 3D model based on solid elastic elements using Altairworks (Hypermesh and Optistruct). Both models can simulate the soil structure interaction. We concentrate on the behavior of a representative cell involving two columns on five levels. The influence of the boundary conditions on the external vertical planes of the domain are duly studied. The Matlab model appears relevant for a primary estimation of frequencies and stiffness of the whole structure under vertical and lateral loads.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.135-148
• /
• 2023

The structure-soil-structure interaction (SSSI) effect in adjacent structures may affect the liquefaction-induced damage of shallow foundation structures. The existing studies only analysed the independent effects on the structural dynamic response but ignored the coupling effect of height difference and distance of adjacent structures (F) on liquefied foundations on the dynamic response. Therefore, this paper adopts finite element and finite difference coupled dynamic analysis method to discuss the effect of the F on the seismic response of shallow foundation structures. The results show that the effect of the short structure on the acceleration response of the tall structure can be neglected as F increases when the height difference reaches 2 times the height of the short structure. The beneficial effect of SSSI on short structures is weakened under strong seismic excitations, and the effect of the increase of F on the settlement ratio gradually decreases, which causes a larger rotation hazard. When the distance is smaller than the foundation width, the short structure will exceed the rotation critical value and cause structural damage. When the distance is larger than the foundation width, the rotation angle is within the safe range (0.02 rad).

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.193-203
• /
• 2021

The time-history finite element analysis is usually used to evaluate the seismic response of shallow foundations. However, the literature lacks studies on the influence of the soil constitutive model complexity on the seismic response of shallow foundations. This study, thus, aims to fill this gap by investigating the seismic response of shallow foundation resting on dry silica sand using the linear elastic (LE) model, elastic-perfectly-plastic (EPP) model, and hardening soil with small strain stiffness (HS small) model. These models have been used because it is intended to compare the results of a soil constitutive model that accurately captures the seismic response of the soil-structure interaction problems (which is the HS small model) with simpler models (the LE and EPP models) that are routinely used by practitioners in geotechnical designs. The results showed that the LE model produces a very small seismic settlement value which is approximately equal to zero. The EPP model predicts a seismic settlement higher than that produced using the HS small model for earthquakes with a peak ground acceleration (PGA) lower than 0.25 g for a relative density of 45% and 0.40 g for a relative density of 70%. However, the HS small model predicts a seismic settlement higher than the EPP model beyond the aforementioned PGA values with the difference between both models increases as the PGA rises. The results also showed that the LE and EPP models predict similar trend and magnitude of the acceleration-time relationship directly below the foundation, which was different than that predicted using the HS small model. The results reported in this paper provide a useful benchmark for future numerical studies on the response of shallow foundations subjected to seismic shake.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.377-386
• /
• 2018

This paper focuses on the development of a new non-linear macro-element for the modelling of soil-foundation interaction. Material and geometrical nonlinearities (soil yielding and foundation uplift respectively) are taken into account in the present macro-element to examine the response of shallow foundations under monotonic and cyclic loads. Several applications of soil-foundation systems are studied. The results obtained from these applications are in very favourable agreement with those obtained through other numerical models in the literature.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.17-24
• /
• 2019

The purpose of this study is to understand the characteristics of bearing capacity of shallow foundation on the grounds. We made a comparative study of existing bearing capacity theory, based on the three-dimensional finite element analysis with a variety of conditions such as ground condition, foundation scale and foundation shape. In the finite element analysis, the ultimate bearing capacity showed a gradual convergence in the form of exponential function or logarithm function according to the foundation scale. Although the shear strength increased, the bearing capacity tended not to increase but change linearly. In the results of comparative study of existing bearing capacity theory, bearing capacity ratio ($q_{u(FEA)}/q_{u(theory)}$) of pure sand has the outcome closest to those of the Terzaghi method. Pure clay turned out to be about 0.4~0.6 while normal soil was changed in a range of 0.3~1.3. As shear strength is increased, the results turned out to be less than 1.0. Bearing capacity ratio ($q_u/q_{u(1.0)}$), normalized at 1.0m bearing capacity, was about 35%, 15% and 5% of theoretical formula under the condition of ${\phi}=25^{\circ}$, $30^{\circ}$ and $35^{\circ}$ of pure sand; no scale effect was found with pure clay and the normal soil with lower soil strength level showed less than 10% of the theoretical formula of pure sand. Bearing capacity ratio of each case, in accordance with, the shear strength increase, was largely influenced by the internal friction angle. Shape factor of bearing capacity ratios classified by foundation shapes have different results according to the shapes; the shape factor of circular foundation is 1.50, square foundation is 1.30, rectangular and continuous foundations are 1.1~1.0.

• Coupled systems mechanics
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.365-383
• /
• 2015

Strip footing is an important type of shallow foundations and is commonly used beneath the walls. Analysis of shallow foundation involves the determination of stresses and deformations. Element free Galerkin method, one of the important mesh free methods, is used for the determination of stresses and deformations. Element free Galerkin method is an efficient and accurate method as compared to finite element method. The Element Free Galerkin method uses only a set of nodes and a description of model boundary is required to generate the discrete equation. Strip footing of width 2 m subjected to a loading intensity of 200 kPa is studied. The results obtained are agreeing with the values obtained using analytical solutions available in the literature. Parametric study is done and the effect of modulus of deformation, Poisson's ratio and scaling parameter on deformation and stresses are determined.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
• /
• v.31 no.7
• /
• pp.29-39
• /
• 2015

The vertical load imposed on the bucket foundation is transferred from the soil inside the bucket to the bottom of the foundation, and also to the outer surface of the skirt. For the design of a bucket foundation installed in sand, the vertical load transfer characteristics have to be clearly identified. However, the response of bucket foundations in sand subjected to a vertical load has not been investigated. In this study, we performed two-dimensional axisymmetric finite element analyses and investigated the vertical load transfer mechanism of bucket foundation installed in sand. The end bearing capacity of bucket foundation is shown to be larger than that of the shallow foundation, whereas the frictional resistance is smaller than that for a pile. The end bearing capacity of the bucket foundation is larger than the shallow foundation because the shear stress acting on the skirt pushes down and enlarges the failure surface. The skin friction is smaller than the pile because the settlement induces horizontal movement of the soil below the tip of the foundation and reduces the normal stress acting at the bottom part of the skirt. The calculated bearing capacity of the bucket foundation is larger than the sum of end bearing capacity of shallow foundation and skin friction of pile. This is because the increment of the end bearing capacity is larger than the reduction in the skin friction.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
• /
• 2010.09a
• /
• pp.201-204
• /
• 2010

Earthquake load to design a structure has been calculated from a fixed base SDOF model using amplified surface accelerations along soft soil layers. But the method dose not consider a soil-structure interaction. Centrifugal experiments that were consisted of soil, a shallow foundation and a structure were performed to find the effects of soil-structure interaction. The experiments showed that mass and stiffness of the foundation affected a response of the structure and nonlinear behavior of soil near the foundation. And a rocking displacement caused by overturning moment affected the response and increases a damping effect. In this study, the centrifugal experiment was simulated as a two dimensional finite element model. The finite element model was used for nonlinear time domain analysis of the OpenSees program. The numerical model accurately evaluated the behaviors of soil and the foundation, but the rocking effect and the behavior of structure were not described.