P. N. Jiki ¹, J. U. Agber ², N. N. Osadebe ³

Affiliations
1 Department of Civil Engineering, University of Agriculture, Makurdi
2 Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Agriculture, Makurdi
3 Department of Civil Engineering, University of Nigeria, Nsukka

Abstract

Samples of soil around the University of Agriculture, Makurdi were obtained and tested in the laboratory to obtain necessary parameters, such as Young's Modulus, Poisson's, ratio, unit weight of soil, angle of internal friction ø and cohesion c which would be used in the finite element model. Using the soil parameters obtained and iso-parametric formulation, the element stiffness matrix was derived which was used to model various shallow footing foundation parameters. The results obtained from the finite element analysis were compared with computed values using bearing capacity equations in the literature for the calculation of various parameters, which will be used to calculate safe bearing pressures for circular, square and rectangular foundation footings. The results closely agree with the calculated values. It was concluded that the finite element method is a numerical method that can be used to obtain bearing capacity parameters for use in the calculation of bearing capacities for shallow foundations for preliminary designs of such footings pending experimental verification of soil parameters used.

Keywords

Soil, Agriculture, Finite Element Method, Internal Friction

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