A numerical model for foundation settlements due to deformation accumulation in granular soils under repeated small amplitude dynamic loading

Repeated small amplitude dynamic loading of the soil in the vicinity of buildings, as arising from traffic or construction activities, may cause differential foundation settlements and structural damage. In this paper, a numerical model for soils under repeated dynamic loading is formulated. It is assumed that the dynamic part of the loading is small with respect to the static part, reflecting the stress conditions in the soil underneath buildings. As the plastic deformation in the soil is only observed after a considerable amount of dynamic loading cycles, only the accumulation of the average plastic deformation is considered. The model accounts for the dependency of the deformation on the stress conditions and the dynamic loading amplitude. The accumulation model is implemented in a finite element framework, using a consistent tangent approach in combination with a backward Euler integration scheme. A triaxial test is considered in a first numerical example. The available analytical solution for this problem allows to validate the numerical implementation. Second, the differential settlement of a two‐storey building founded on loose sandy soil under repeated vehicle passages is considered. The differential foundation settlement causes the stresses to increase at the bottom of the wall, which may result in damage. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.