Improving Semianalytical Predictions of Long-Term Basement Heave in Over-Consolidated Clay

Abstract

A series of geotechnical centrifuge tests to investigate the long-term heave behavior of basements in over-consolidated clay was performed, and the profiles of the slab displacement and underslab pressure were measured simultaneously. The same prototypes were simulated using Plaxis 2D with the clay stratum represented by the small-strain hardening soil model. The results were compared, and good agreement was found in terms of the profiles of slab-soil contact pressures. The data indicated that existing semianalytical methods of long-term heave predictions can be improved by assuming a quadratic distribution of slab-soil contact pressure. Example calculations for the relaxation ratio method and the relative stiffness method are presented.