Finite element analysis of soil–steel structures

Abstract

The present paper introduces some improvements in the finite element analysis of soil–steel structures. It applies two-noded spring-type interface elements and accounts for the compaction effects during construction simulation. The analyses are performed in increments using a hyperbolic stress–strain relationship for the nonlinear behaviour of the soil and take into account the shear or tension failure in the soil elements. Also, a combination of constant and compatible linear strain elements for soil is used to increase the accuracy of the analysis around the conduit while keeping the storage requirement and computation time for the numerical solution manageable.The analytical results show satisfactory agreement with those obtained experimentally. They also show that the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) provisions overestimate the thrust due to live load and underestimate the thrust due to dead load. A better comparison is found with the Ontario Highway Bridge Design Code (OHBDC).