T. Lopez-Lara ¹, J. B. Hernandez-Zaragoza ¹, J. Horta Rangel ¹, C. Lopez-Cajaun ¹, H. Hernandez Villares ¹, V. M. Castano ²

Affiliations
1 Graduate Studies Division, School of Engineering, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Cerro de las Campanas SN, CP 76010, Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, MX
2 Instituto de Física Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, AP 1-1010, Querétaro, Querétaro 76000, MX

Abstract

Soil compressibility is a phenomenon linked to the partially sinking of structures, which in turn, produces fissures in floors, walls, columns, and other structural elements. Also it involves the development of pressures generated in the water (primary phase) and the soil (secondary phase) on time. These can be explained using percolation principles. In this paper a novel alternative for the analysis of the abovementioned phenomena is presented. Indeed, via percolation, according to the water being expelled from the soil under different loading conditions is considered. Nets of sites of given dimension with a determined number of occupied sites (amount of soil particles) and other of empty sites (initial amount of water in the soil) are defined. Each net simulates the soil stresses by means of the cumulative probability after each load. Finally, the necessary nets were constructed with less amount of empty sites according to the water being expelled from soil on time under each load and therefore, of lesser dimensions to determine the critical percolation (starting of structural friction of soils).

Keywords

Compressibility, Soils, Percolation

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J. Horta Rangel ¹, A. Zepeda Garrido ¹, E. Rojas Gonzalez ¹, T. Lopez Lara ¹, L. Perez Rea ¹, Hernandez J. Zaragoza ¹

Affiliations
1 Engineering Graduate Department, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Queretaro, Z.C. 76010, MX

Abstract

The expansive soil effect generates, first of all volumetric variation which causes changes in the soil's profile. The expansion pressure starts on the inside of the expansive soil mass as humidity increases, and, as a consequence, the tendency to increase its volume also increases. A 3-D analysis of an irregular-geometry plate foundation subject to expansive effects is presented. The analysis involves the soil's response and is represented by link bearings. The expansion effects are transmitted by the links to the foundation based on prescribed displacements with the shape of a paraboloid. The study herein developed considers the 3-D behavior of an irregular slab foundation; it focuses on the structural implications over the plate foundation due to expansive phenomenon. Commonly the solutions developed do not cover the 3-D implications of the whole phenomenon and the stiffness properties of an irregular plate foundation. The treatment covered in this study allows us to get more realistic results of the stress-strain state of plate foundations than the ones obtained through 2D models. The expansion effects generally have a random character because the place where they will occur cannot be certainly predicted, the proposed procedure It has the feasibility of rapidly studying cases of expansion occurring in the plate foundation, generating a versatile interaction with the user of the program developed for this purpose.

Keywords

Expansive Soil, Computer Modeling, Finite Element Analysis, Winkler Model, Contact Pressure

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