Load Settlement Behaviour of Axisymmetric Box Foundation by Nonlinear Finite

Element Analysis
Dilip K Maharaj, Ph.D
Assistant Professor
Civil engineering Group
Birla Institute of Technology and Science,
Pilani,Rajasthan-333031
E-mail:dilip_maharajyahoo.com
:dkmbits-pilani.ac.in
ABSTRACT :In this paper an axisymmetric box Ioundation as well as an axisymmetric solid
Ioundation have been analysed by Nonlinear Iinite method. The Ioundation and soil have been
discretized by Iour noded isoparametric Iinite elements. The material nonlinearity oI soil has
been modeled by Drucker-Prager yield criteria. A comparative study Ior the load-settlement
behaviour Ior both the Ioundations have been done Ior diIIerent diameters keeping depth oI
Ioundation and thickness oI wall oI box Ioundation constant. At smaller as well as larger
diameters the box Ioundation undergoes more settlement than that oI the solid Ioundation in the
range oI 5-12 milimeters at very high load.This diIIerence in settlement has been Iound to reduce
signiIicantly due to the increase in modulus oI Ioundation material. By increasing the modulus oI
the box Ioundation almost same load-settlement curve has been Iound Ior box and solid
Ioundations. By providing a box Ioundation instead oI a solid Ioundation nearly 50 to 80
percentage saving oI volume oI concrete have been Iound Ior the range oI diameters considered
in the analysis. Thus the hollow Ioundation is an economical Ioundation as compared to the
solid Ioundation and also an excellent alternative to the solid Ioundation.
INTRODUCTION:A Ioundation is the part oI the structure which is in contact with the ground
and transIers the load oI the structure to the ground. A raIt Ioundation is generally provided in
soil with low bearing capacity and in soils where chances oI diIIerential settlement is there iI
isolated Iootings are provided. A hollow raIt Ioundation is similar to the conventional raIt
Ioundation, the diIIerence lies in the inside portion oI the two. In case oI hollow raIt Ioundation
the inside portion oI concrete is removed and it is closed at bottom and top through slabs and all
around through walls and hence it is named as a box Ioundation. In this paper an axisymmetric
solid and box type raIt Ioundation which is very much suitable Ior axisymmetric structures has
been analysed by nonlinear Iinite element method to understand its load settlement behavour.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Severn (1966) reported the Iinite element method Ior solving the mat Ioundation. The paper
presents the derivation oI stiIIness matrix Ior plates, which include the eIIect oI an elastic
Ioundation.. StiIIness matrix Ior beam on elastic Ioundation is also presented. The eIIect oI
Ioundation is assumed to consist two parts (a) the spring type reaction which is directly
proportional to the displacement and (b) a spring-coupling action which simulates shear resistance
in the Ioundation.
Hain and Lee (1974) reported that the most eIIective analytical technique Ior analysisng the
structure-raIt-supporting soil system appears to be substructure approach when the elements oI
the system can be treated as maniIesting linear elastic behaviour. The results oI the linear elastic
model are Iound to be consistent with the common observed concave settlement proIile. Thus it
is Iound that the linear elastic model should be used in preIerence to the Winkler`s Model.
Horvath(1983)developed a new mathematical model Ior analysing mat Ioundation under static
loads based on Reissner`s concept oI a simpliIied elastic continuum. Horizontal normal and shear
stresses are assumed to be zero throughout an elastic layer oI Iinite thickness. Solutions Ior a
Young`s Modulus constant with depth as well as varying linearly and with square root oI depth
are discussed. The Reissner SimpliIied Continuum is shown to oIIer substantially better
correlation with exact theory oI elasticity solutions than does the commonly used modulus oI
subgrade reaction model.
Kay and Cavagnaro (1983)reported measurement oI settlement oI three structures on raIt
Ioundations. For two oI these structures surveying techniques were used while Ior the third a
borehole extensometer technique developed in the United Kingdom was used. The extensometer
approach was Iound to be superior Irom a number oI standpoints, including accessibility during
construction, convenience oI measurement and accuracy oI results.
Shukla (1984) presented a simplied method Ior design oI mat Ioundations on elastic soil medium.
The paper recommends methods to determine modulus oI subgrade reaction and methods to
calculate moments, shear Iorces, and deIlections at critical points on mat with the help oI charts. An
example is given to show the chart.
Bowles (1986)reported a brieI survey oI computerized methods Ior mat design. The modulus oI
subgrade reaction is considered in some detail both in obtaining reasonable initial design estimates
and simple methods to couple node eIIects. A mat example is reanalyzed to illustrate the eIIect oI
simple coupling procedure . Several tables are given both to illustrate the particular validity oI the
Iinite grid method and Ior use in coupling procedure.
McKeen and 1ohnson (1990) conducted a study to investigate the simple rational methods Ior
calculating the active zone depth and Irom it the edge moisture penetration distance in expansive
soils. Analysis oI soil-moisture diIIusion indicated that the active zone depth is a Iunction oI the
maximum suction change imposed, minimum suction change considered signiIicant , climate
Irequency and Iield diIIusion coeIIicient.
FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS
Figure 1. shows the Iinite element discretization considered in the analysis. The raIt, soil have
been discretized into Iour noded isoparametric Iinite elements. The soil has been modeled as
Drucker-Prager elastoplastic material. The resulting nonlinear Iinite element equations have
been solved by Full Newton Raphson Iterative Procedure. The depth oI soil considered below the
raIt is Iive times the size oI the raIt while a soil zone oI radius equal to ten times the radius oI
the raIt has been considered Irom the center oI the raIt. The center boundary and the edge
boundary are allowed to undergo vertical movement but no horizontal movement. The bottom
boundary are considered to have no movement.
Material Properties and Parameters Varied:
Modulus oI Concrete (E
c
) 2 x 10
7
, 2 x 10
8
kN/m
2
Poisson,s Ratio oI Concrete (
c
)0.45
Modulus oI Soil (E
s
) 3.2 x 10
4
kN/m
2
Cohesion oI soil (C ) 29.10 kN/m
2
Poisson,s Ratio oI Soil (
s
)0.30
Diameters oI Foundation( D) 10 , 20 meters
Thickness oI Ioundation(T) 4.0 meters
Thickness oI top slab and bottom slab oI Ioundation (t)0.5 meters
Thickness oI circular wall oI Ioundation(t
c
)1.0 meters
Based on the dimensions considered percentage saving in concrete
(i) For smaller diameter (10 meters) is 48 ( i.e nearly 50)
(ii) For the larger diameters (20 meters) is 81
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Figure 2. shows the comparison oI load settlement curve obtained Ior solid and box type
axisymmetric raIt Ioundation oI smaller diameter. It can be seen that the load settlement curves
Ior both the Ioundations almost overlap each other. The box type Ioundation showing slightly
more settlement than that oI the solid Ioundation.
Figure 3. shows the load settlement curve Ior the solid Ioundation ( with same modulus as in the
previous case ) and that oI the box Ioundation (with high elastic modulus). It can be seen that the
two curves are completely overlapping each other. Hence by increasing the modulus oI the raIt
material oI the box Ioundation, the same load carrying capacity oI the box as well as the solid
Ioundation can be obtained.
Fig.2. Load-SettIement Curves for Foundations
(D=10m,E
c
=2 x 10
7
kN/m
2
)
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
SettIement (mm)
L
o
a
d

(
k
N
)
Hollow
Solid
Figure 4. shows the comparison oI the load settlement curves oI the solid as well as that oI the
box type oI Ioundation oI larger diameter. Box Ioundation undergoes more settlement than that
oI the solid Ioundation. This increase in settlement is maximum oI 12 mm and that also at very
large load. Even Ior larger size oI raIt Ioundation the two load settlement curves are comparable.
Fig.3. Load SettIement Curves for Foundations
(E
c
=2 x 10
8
kN/m
2
for HoIIow and 2 x 10
7
kN/m
2
for SoIid)
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
SettIement (mm)
L
o
a
d

(
k
N
) Hollow
Solid
Fig.4. Load SettIement Curves for Foundations
(D=20 m, E
c
=2 x 10
7
kN/m
2
)
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
100000
0 20 40 60 80
SettIement (mm)
L
o
a
d
(
k
N

)
Hollow
Solid
Figure 5. shows the comparison oI the load settlement curve oI the solid Ioundation and that oI
the box Ioundation. In this case the modulus oI box type oI Ioundation has been increased while
that oI the solid Ioundation has been kept constant. It can be seen that the two curves are almost
near to each other. This clearly shows that by increasing the modulus oI the box Ioundation
almost the same load carrying capacity as that oI the solid Ioundation can be obtained.
Figure 6. shows the diIIerential settlement versus settlement curve Ior solid and box Ioundations
oI smaller diameters. For any settlement the diIIerential settlement oI hollow Ioundation is more
than that oI the solid Ioundation though the maximum value oI diIIerential settlement is 5
milimeter Ior the hollow Ioundation and nearly 0.6 milimeter Ior the solid Ioundation.
Fig.5. Load SettIement Curves for Foundations
( E
c
= 2 x 10
8
kN/m
2
for HoIIow and E
c
=2 x 10
7
kN/m
2
for SoIid)
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
100000
0 20 40 60 80
SettIement (mm)
L
o
a
d

(
k
N
)
Hollow
Solid
Fig.6. SettIement-DifferentiaI SettIement Curves for
foundations(D=10 m, E
c
=2 x 10
7
)kN/m
2
0
2
4
6
0 100 200 300
SettIement (mm)
D
i
f
f
e
r
e
n
t
i
a
I

S
e
t
t
I
e
m
e
n
t

(
m
m
)
Hollow
Solid
Figure 7. shows the diIIerential settlement versus settlement curves Ior solid and box
Ioundations Ior the same diameter as in the above case (Figure6.). In this case the modulus oI
box Ioundation has been increased. The Iigure shows that the diIIerential settlement oI the box
Ioundation has reduced to 0.7 milimeter.
Figure 8. shows the diIIerential settlement versus settlement curves Ior solid and box Ioundation
oI larger diameters. For any settlement the diIIerential settlement oI box Ioundation is more than
that oI the solid Ioundation.
Fig.7. SettIement-DifferentiaI SettIement
Curves for Foundations [D=10 m, HoIIow (
E
c
=2 x 10
8
), SoIid (E
c
=2 x 10
7
)]
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
0 100 200 300
SettIement (mm)
D
i
f
f
e
r
e
n
t
i
a
I

S
e
t
t
I
e
m
e
n
t

(
m
m
)
Hollow
Solid
Fig.8. SettIement-DifferentiaI SettIement
Curves for Foundations(D=20 m, Ec=2 x 10
7
kN/m
2
)
0
5
10
15
0 50 100
SettIement (mm)
D
i
f
f
e
r
e
n
t
i
a
I

S
e
t
t
I
e
m
e
n
t

(
m
m
)
Hollow
Solid
Figure 9. shows the diIIerential settlement versus settlement curves Ior solid and box Ioundation
oI same diameters as in Figure 8. In this case the modulus oI box Ioundation has been increased
keeping the modulus oI solid Ioundation same. The increase in modulus has reduced the
diIIerential settlement signiIicantly.
CONCLUSIONS
At smaller as well as larger diameters the box Ioundation undergoes more settlement than that oI
the solid Ioundation in the range oI 5-12 milimeters at very high load.This diIIerence in
settlement has been Iound to reduce signiIicantly due to the increase in modulus oI Ioundation
material. By increasing the modulus oI the box Ioundation almost same load-settlement curve
has been Iound Ior box and solid Ioundations. By providing a box Ioundation instead oI a solid
Ioundation nearly 50 to 80 percentage saving oI volume oI concrete have been Iound Ior the
range oI diameters considered in the analysis. Thus the hollow Ioundation is an economical
Ioundation as compared to the solid Ioundation and also an excellent alternative to the solid
Ioundation.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author wishes to thank Birla Institute oI Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan Ior
providing computing Iacility. The author thanks his wiIe and loving sons Ashish and Manish
Ior their sincere eIIort in preparing this paper. The author also thanks all the groups specially his
Civil Engineering Group Ior their cooperation.
Fig.9. SettIement-DifferentiaI SettIement
Curves for Foundations [D=20 m,HoIIow
(E
c
=2 x 10
8
), SoIid ( E
c
=10
7
)]
0
2
4
6
0 20 40 60 80
SettIement (mm)
D
i
f
f
e
r
e
n
t
i
a
I

s
e
t
t
I
e
m
e
n
t

(
m
m
)
Hollow
Solid
REFERENCES
Bowles J E (1986) 'Mat design ACI Journal 1010-1017.
Hain, S.J. and Lee .K. (1974) "Rational analysis of raft foundation, Journal of
Geotechnical Engineering ,Vol.100, No.GT7, 843-859.
Horvath, J.S. (1983) 'New subgrade model applied to mat Ioundations Journal of Geotechnical
Engineering ,Vol.109, No.12, 1567- 1587.
Kay and Cavagnaro (1983) 'Settlement oI raIt Ioundations, Journal of Geotechnical
Engineering ,Vol.109, No.11,1367-1381.
McKeen R.G. and Johnson L.D. (1990) 'Climate-controlled soil design parameters Ior mat
Ioundations , Journal of Geotechnical Engineering ,Vol.116, No.7, 843-859.
Severn R.T. (1966) 'The solution oI Ioundation mat problems by Iinite-element methods,
Structural Engineer ,Vol.44 No.6 pp 223-228.
Shukla S.N. (1984), 'A simplied method Ior the design oI mat on elastic Ioundation, ACI Journal
,pp469-475.