Prediction of shallow foundation settlements by stiffness-strain factors

Soil non linear behaviour has to be taken into account in the study of soil-structure interaction. Elastic approaches are generally adopted for settlement prediction, but suitable soil stiffness values should be chosen. The soil behaviour dependence on strain and stress levels is evident even in the serviceability state of a foundation. In the present work, a simplified non-linear method and operational stiffness values are adopted for the estimate of shallow foundation settlements. The reliability of the approach has been considered by the study of case records and numerical analyses.