Efficient Analytical Model for Calculation of the Influence Zone inside the Subsoil below Foundations Slabs

Abstract

This paper presents analytical approaches for evaluating the depth of the influence zone. The model focuses on variations in the ground water table. Referring to [6], the term influence zone is assigned to the region where the load has a substantial influence on the deformation of the soil skeleton. The first approach relies on an analytical solution based on an analysis of the Westergard subspace, assuming an elastic material response. This idea is accompanied by the effect of water pressure on the effective (skeleton) stress state. The approach provides any extremely efficient estimate of the depth of the influence zone. The proposed analytical solution is verified against the finite element analysis, assuming that the material response is driven by the modified Cam clay model. The predicted analytical result is found to be in a good agreement with the numerical solution derived with the help of the ADINA 8.1 general-purpose finite element code. The presented results further suggest that this analytical procedure can be applied to solve the interaction problem of the slab and the subsoil and its progress in the structural process, namely by varying the ground water table.