STOCHASTIC FEM ANALYSIS OF STRIP FOUNDATION

Abstract

The paper offers a stochastic description of a random soil medium subjected to external loading. The strip foundation on a soil layer in the 3D and the 2D strain states is analysed. It is assumed that the soil medium is statistically homogeneous and its mechanical behaviour governed by the linear elasticity theory. It is also assumed that elastic parameters can be modelled as the multidimensional random fields. Stochastic 2D and 3D finite element methods (SFEM), based on the Monte Carlo technique were used. The influence of elements supports attached along vertical planes on standard deviations of displacements and stresses is discussed. Local averages of random field of elastic parameters are introduced. The convergence of applied in SFEM simulation algorithm was tested. The analysis performed enables determination of the standard deviations of components of the stress tensor and the displacement vector for the 3D state, based on the solution for the 2D plane strain state.