Numerical analyses of soil-mat foundation and space frame system

In most of the design offices, analysis of the frame is carried out without considering the effect of the rigidity of mat. The analysis of the superstructure without modelling the foundation properly and conversely analysing the foundation system without considering the stiffness of the superstructure may mislead the estimation of the forces. This paper examines the parameters, which affect the interaction and they are grouped into relative stiffness factors ${\kappa}_{rs}$ and ${\kappa}_{sb}$. An interaction analysis is performed for the five storeyed space frame of 3 bays ${\times}$ 5 bays, using ANSYS finite element code. The soil was treated as an isotropic, homogenous and elastic half space medium and the following conclusions were drawn from the analyses. The differential settlement is reduced due to interaction and the performance of the mat depends on ${\kappa}_{sb}$ values. The moments $M_x$ and $M_y$ in the corner column at all the storey levels are higher in the case of the interaction analysis than in the conventional analysis. The axial forces in the peripheral columns increased and to that extent, the inner column axial loads are reduced. In the beam, more variation is seen in the support moments than in the span moments.