A scheme for switching boundary condition types in the integral static-dynamic analysis of soil-structures in Abaqus

Abstract

Simulation of semi-infinite foundation is a key issue in the finite element analysis of dynamic soil-structure interactions. When the viscous-spring artificial boundary is used to simulate the radiation damping effect, the boundary condition types of the truncated foundation are different in the static and dynamic steps. It is needed to switch the displacement boundary to the traction boundary in the integral static-dynamic analysis. This paper proposes a scheme for steadily switching boundary condition types in the integral static-dynamic analysis of structures in Abaqus by means of the element birth and death technique. To verify the proposed scheme, a two-dimensional FE analysis of Pine Flat dam due to static and dynamic loads is carried out for wave motion problems of both internal and external sources. Results show that the proposed scheme can switch the boundary conditions steadily and improve the computational accuracy.