Volume 34, N. 3, September-December 2011 | DOWNLOAD PDF(55 downloads)
Abstract
During the construction of a building, a transfer of loads occurs from the columns which tend to settle more to those that tend to settle less. This observable fact can be attributed to the mechanism called static soil-structure interaction (SSI). In order to understand this mechanism, which is often not considered in designs, an experimental campaign and a numerical simulation were carried out on a building which had its settlements monitored from the start of its construction. For this purpose, linear tridimensional numerical models were constructed for each floor and numerical analysis was performed, using the finite elements method. In this analysis, numerical models corresponding to the execution of each floor were used, considering the settlements measured at each stage of the construction. Results show a change in reaction forces which occurs when settlements are introduced into the model. It was also possible to verify that the spring coefficients of the foundations change along the ground surface, which suggests that they are related to the structural stiffness and with the foundation adopted. Furthermore, the analysis of the susceptibility of the structure to settlements presents results which could justify a greater influence of settlements during the first stages of the construction, with lower stiffness of the structure associated with greater load variation in columns.
