Soil-structure interaction with time-dependent behaviour of both concrete and soil

Abstract

As the consideration of soil-structure interaction is increasingly being incorporated into design practice, there is a need for solutions that consider the most relevant aspects of the behaviour of both the concrete and the soil, some of which are time-dependent. The present work introduces a model that suits both the structure and the foundation – including the supporting soil – allowing the coupled analysis of hardening on cure, creep, shrinkage and cracking of concrete, and consolidation of soil. Both the structure and the foundation are modeled as one-dimensional finite elements. The time-dependent behaviour of the concrete and soil is modeled using Kelvin chains. For the structural elements, a mixed finite element formulation is used. Validation tests were conducted in the proposed modeling, comparing its results with available experimental and analytical data. The study of a reinforced concrete continuous beam supported by foundations on consolidating clay considering the time-dependent behaviour of the materials showed considerable changes in the effects of the soil-structure interaction.

Keywords
Soil/structure interaction; Time dependence; Concrete structures; Consolidation; Finite element method

Graphical Abstract