Abstract
Over the past twenty years, a substantial amount of research has been performed to expand the modeling capabilities of energy geostructures: innovative earth-contact structures that provide combined structural support and renewable energy supply. Several analytical and semi-analytical solutions have been made available for describing the thermo-mechanical behavior of cylindrical energy geostructures such as energy piles. However, no analytical solutions for capturing the thermo-mechanical behavior of plane energy geostructures such as energy walls and slabs have been developed until recently. This paper summarizes the essential features of the first analytical solution available for describing the thermo-mechanical behavior of plane energy geostructures. This analytical solution extends Winkler’s model for a beam resting on an elastic soil mass to non-isothermal conditions, allowing to quantify the effects of temperature variations, axial loads, transversal loads and bending moments applied to plane energy geostructures. Such an analytical solution can be used in the analysis of an elementary unit represented by a single beam as well as complex plane energy geostructures using the superposition principle. Based on the preceding capabilities, the proposed analytical solution may effectively serve the analysis or design of plane energy geostructures under the influence of mechanical and/or thermal loads.
Highlights
Over the past twenty years, a substantial amount of research has been performed to expand the modeling capabilities of energy geostructures: innovative earthcontact structures that integrate the role of the structural support with that of the geothermal heat exchanger
The reason for this is that mechanical and thermal loads are applied to such geostructures and include unprecedented scientific and engineering challenges from geotechnical, structural and energy perspectives [1]
This analytical solution extends to non-isothermal conditions Winkler’s model for a beam resting on an elastic soil mass [14], allowing to quantify the effects of temperature variations, axial loads, transversal loads and bending moments applied to plane energy geostructures
Summary
Over the past twenty years, a substantial amount of research has been performed to expand the modeling capabilities of energy geostructures: innovative earthcontact structures that integrate the role of the structural support with that of the geothermal heat exchanger. This paper expands on the first analytical solution available for capturing the thermo-mechanical behavior of plane energy geostructures, describing some of its features succinctly This analytical solution extends to non-isothermal conditions Winkler’s model for a beam resting on an elastic soil mass [14], allowing to quantify the effects of temperature variations, axial loads, transversal loads and bending moments applied to plane energy geostructures. Based on this capability, the proposed model can serve as an effective alternative to numerical approaches to model the thermo-mechanical behavior of energy geostructures.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
