Analysis of Soil-Structure Interaction in Raft Foundation Using Grid Analogy

Resumo

Anticipating the behavior of structural elements to be designed is an inherent necessity in Civil Engineering. Within the realm of foundation structures, this need is no exception. In this context, it is pertinent to state that structural analysis softwares represents a significant advancement in this field. Its utilization enables the attainment of precise and often complex results through a variety of analysis methods. Consequently, the Grid Analogy method, through its numerical application, offers a simplified and effective approach to analyzing two-dimensional plate elements by treating them as grid elements. This study focuses on analyzing the soil-structure interaction in raft foundations, using an approach based on the Grid Analogy Method. This is achieved through an adaptation of the LAGI software, developed in Python, aimed at the structural analysis of slab floors, which now includes support for analyzing rafts supported on soil, serving as a flexible base for the structure. The Grid Analogy is employed as a technique that facilitates modeling for soil-structure interaction analysis, providing relatively accurate results and enabling a deeper understanding of raft behavior under different loading conditions and soil characteristics. Practical applications are utilized to validate the implementation of the modeling, along with comparison of results obtained from other structural analysis software. These results, which include internal force diagrams emphasizing maximum bending moments and displacements with their values, underscore the effectiveness of the adopted approach and present an innovative alternative for analyzing a crucial area within Structural Engineering.