3‐D Elastic Analysis of Three‐Pile Caps

Abstract

A three‐dimensional elasticity solution of a three‐pile cap is presented. The solution of the governing equations of the theory of elasticity is expressed in terms of the Galerkin vector. The components of the Galerkin vector are expressed as double‐Fourier series. The method consists of superposition of three‐dimensional elasticity solutions for a rectangular block subjected to four different patch loadings. By this approach the boundary conditions for a three‐pile cap can be satisfied exactly. Contours of tensile stresses at the bottom face reveal the regions of maximum stresses. No attempt seems to have been made so far for the rigorous analysis of three‐pile caps in the literature.