Parameters for plates on elastic foundations

Abstract

In this study, a nondimensional analysis of parameters has been performed for the analysis of a plate on an elastic foundation. An attempt is made to develop a method to evaluate the modulus of subgrade reaction, k, to be used in the Winkler model for the analysis of plates subjected to a concentrated load. The concentrated load can be placed at the center, at the corner, or at the midpoint of the edge of the rectangular plate. This numerical effort is made for a constant value of Poisson's ratio for the soil, v s=0.25. Equations and graphs are provided from which a value of k can be computed as soon as the complete geometry and the properties of the overall system are known. Numerical examples were solved to verify the applicability of the method and the results obtained were compared with those obtained from the modified Vlasov method.