Deformation Analysis for Periodically Layered Soil

Abstract

A technique for the analysis of periodically layered soil deposits is developed. This technique requires minimal data preparation and is compu tationally very efficient. The technique is used to determine the deformations of a periodically layered half space subjected to a uniform circular applied pres sure. Consideration is given to the center settlement, edge settlement and hor izontal displacement at the edge. Results are presented for a wide range of geometries and soil conditions. The validity of two approximate approaches which represent the deposit as a single homogeneous layer are then evaluated. It is shown that simple approaches will suffice for a wide range of conditions, and parametric solutions are provided for certain situations where simple ap proaches are not appropriate.