Modelling Foundations 1

[corus]

I want to include the ground with a certain stiffness as a restraint to a structure rather than assume that the ground provides a rigid restraint. Is there an easy way of doing this rather than adding spring elements to every single node at ground level?

corus

 

[GBor]

What software are you using? How many "grounded" nodes do you have (roughly)?

 

[prost]

Best way would be to use a distributed spring boundary condition on the appropriate element edges. Many commercial FEA software programs include this option in the Constraints interface/tab.

 

[corus]

The software is Abaqus and the number of nodes is too many to really consider.

I'll check if Abaqus can do spring boundary conditions though I've not heard of this feature before.

corus

 

[johnhors]

Yes it can, using *SPRING and *ELEMENT, TYPE=SPRING1

any pre-processor capable of creating Abaqus or CalculiX input decks should be able to apply spring to earth restraints to any selected group of element faces.

 

[xerf]

Corus,

you can create and Elastic Foundation in Abaqus/CAE.

See the Interaction module -> Create Interaction ->Elastic Foundation.

I think the equivalent keyword is "FOUNDATION".

Best.

 

[corus]

Thanks xerf, never thought of looking there.

corus