Numerical solution of rafts on viscoelastic media using flexibility expansions

A problem of a raft on a viscoelastic half space is converted to an equivalent problem by means of a laplace transformation. A finite element or other suitable numerical technique provides a set of simultaneous equations which depends on the equivalent elastic parameters and which describes the behaviour of the soil raft system. It is shown that the solution to this set of equations can be expressed in terms of a power series in relative raft flexibility, and this solution is then transformed back to obtain a numerical solution to the original problem. The method is very economical in computing effort since it consists primarily of triangularisation of a matrix, which is much faster than determination of the set of eigenvectors for the matrix. Results for a circular raft are used to illustrate the method, and particular attention is paid to the variation in accuracy with the number of terms in the series expansion (a).

• Authors:
  • Brown, P T
  • Booker, J R
• Publication Date: 1979-9

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 24P
• Serial:
  • Issue Number: R352

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Finite element method; Stiffness; Viscoelasticity
• ATRI Terms: Finite element method; Stiffness; Viscoelasticity
• Subject Areas: Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01439669
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Files: ATRI
• Created Date: Aug 24 2012 10:27PM