Strain-Dependent Settlement Analyses of Heavily-Loaded Structures

摘要

This paper describes the rationale behind using strain-dependent stiffness values for settlement analysis. Normalized elastic stiffness versus axial strain curves are presented for several soil types. Comparisons are made between the predicted settlement using (1) strain-dependent soil stiffness; and (2) single value high-strain soil stiffness for each layer beneath a major soil-supported structure using different soil profiles. Although the predicted settlement using strain-dependent soil stiffness is smaller in each case, the differences vary depending on various factors, including the level of loading (and hence strain) in the soil, and the ratio of low-strain to high-strain elastic modulus.