Analysis of soil-foundation interaction by coupling finite and infinite elements

Overview & Synopsis

In many problems of physics or engineering, we are in the presence of infinite or semi-infinite domains. The analysis of these problems requires the use of size extended in order to model as well as possible the behaviour of the far field. The solution of these problems by the finite element method can prove to be expensive because of the volume of physical space necessary for modelling and of the realistic representation of the boundary conditions. However, a rigorous analysis consists in coupling finite elements with infinite elements to model in a reasonable manner the behaviour of the far field. In this paper, a technique of coupling finite elements and infinite elements was proposed to analyze the soil-foundation interaction problems under axisymmetric or plane strain conditions. In this numerical model, the soil-foundation interface was modelled by interface elements.