Atmosphere-soil-structure interaction: Isolated building foundation movements induced by environmental loads

Abstract

This paper presents a simplified method for the study of the soil-structure interaction problem for isolated footings on soils subjected to water content-related volume changes. The method is based on the 2D modelling of thermo-hydro-mechanical processes occurring in the soil and the soil atmosphere interface, the calculation of the soil-footing system stiffness and the modelling of the structure. The idealization of soil-structure interaction from an equivalent springs model, obtained from the above characteristics, allows the movements changes in time of the foundations to be obtained. These in turn can be used for evaluation of building damage related to angular distortion among foundations.