Abstract
In this paper an elastic settlement analysis method for rigid rectangular footings applicable to both clays and sands is proposed. The proposed method is based on the concept of equivalent shape, where any rectangular footing is suitably replaced by a footing of elliptical shape; the conditions of equal area and equal perimeter are satisfied simultaneously. The case of clay is differentiated from the case of sand using different contact pressure distribution, whilst, additionally, for the sands, the modulus of elasticity increases linearly with depth. The method can conveniently be calibrated against any set of settlement data obtained analytically, experimentally, or numerically; in this respect the authors used values which have been derived analytically from third parties. Among the most interesting findings is that sands produce “settlement x soil modulus/applied pressure” values approximately 10% greater than the respective ones corresponding to clays. Moreover, for large Poisson’s ratio (v) values, the settlement of rigid footings is closer to the settlement corresponding to the corner of the respective flexible footings. As v decreases, the derived settlement of the rigid footing approaches the settlement value corresponding to the characteristic point of the respective flexible footing. Finally, corrections for the net applied pressure, footing rigidity, and non-elastic response of soil under loading are also proposed.
Highlights
The problem of settlement of shallow foundations is among the more important ones in classical soil mechanics
Numerical results for perfectly smooth, uniformly loaded rectangular rafts, of any rigidity resting on a homogeneous elastic layer which is underlain by a rough rigid base, were presented in graphical form by Fraser and Wardle [12]
The proposed method is based on the concept of equivalent shape, where any rectangular B × L footing is suitably replaced by a footing of elliptical shape
Summary
The problem of settlement of shallow foundations is among the more important ones in classical soil mechanics. In this paper an elastic settlement analysis method for rigid rectangular footings applicable to both clays and sands is proposed. The suitability of the equivalent shape concept is deeply investigated aiming at the production of analytical expressions for the elastic settlement analysis of rigid rectangular footings on sands and clays. As shown, this concept is only valid when the equivalent shape satisfies both the condition of equal area and equal perimeter length at the same time.
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