Approximate Displacement Influence Factors for Elastic Shallow Foundations

Displacement influence factors for calculating the magnitudes of drained and undrained settlements of shallow foundations are approximated by simple numerical integration of elastic stress distributions within a spreadsheet. Influence factors for circular foundations resting on soils having homogeneous (constant modulus with depth) to Gibson-type (linearly increasing modulus) profiles with finite layer thicknesses are obtained by summing the unit strains from incremental vertical and radial stress changes. The effects of foundation rigidity and embedment are addressed by approximate modifier terms obtained from prior finite-element studies. Results are compared with closed-form analytical and rigorous numerical solutions, where available. A new solution for Gibson soil of finite thickness is presented.