Effect of interference of strip footings and strip anchors on their elastic settlements

Abstract

In this note, for the different problems of closely spaced strip footings and strip anchors, the effect of the spacing of footings/anchors on their elastic settlements has been examined. The problems chosen are (i) a group of two footings and a group of an infinite number of multiple footings subjected to vertical compressive loads, and (ii) a group of two horizontal anchors and a group of an infinite number of multiple anchors subjected to vertical uplift loads. Footings and anchors are assumed to be perfectly rigid and rough. It is noted that the effect of the interference of footings and anchors leads to an increase in the settlements for the same magnitude of the load applied on each footing. The values of the elastic settlements were found to increase continuously with a decrease in the spacing between the footings and anchors. As compared to two footings/anchors, the effect of the interference was noted to be more substantial in the case of multiple footings/anchors. The effect of the Poisson ratio of the medium in all the cases was found to be very marginal.