The effect of arrangement of reinforced concrete elements on perception of seismic loads by the foundation

Introduction. Soil reinforcement is widely used in the construction of buildings and structures in complex geological conditions, especially with the help of vertical elements. Calculations of reinforced foundations in practice are carried out by various methods, including numerical methods. Many studies were carried out on soil behaviour during pile reinforcement and its effect on settlement, but the interaction between soils and reinforcing elements is not fully understood. The choice of element location and assessment of the influence of soil liquefaction on the reinforcement efficiency under seismic effects remain topical tasks.Materials and methods. The effects of different reinforcing pile arrangements on the behaviour of the soil mass and foundation settlement under seismic loads are studied. Three pile arrangements, including conventional and alternative arrangements are considered using the PLAXIS 2D programme. Different soil models are also used in the calculation — UBC3D-PLM and HS Small for modelling the bottom and top layer of the soil depending on its characteristics.Results. The results show that all three selected design schemes obtain a significant increase in settlement during earthquake passage. The different pile arrangements significantly affect the deformation and settlement of the foundation slab, as well as the location of soil liquefaction points under seismic loads.Conclusions. By changing the parameters of pile reinforcement, it is possible to control the size and location of liquefaction zones and, if necessary, to protect some zones from the realization of this process. The presented results can contribute to the design and development of effective methods of construction in earthquake-prone areas.

PLAXIS 2D, soil reinforcement, PLAXIS 2D, pile elements, pile location, pile modelling, UBC3D-PLM model, soil liquefaction