Comparative study of a subgrade coefficient reaction on an arched dam using the Winkler foundation model

Abstract

Foundations are one of the most important parts of different structures. The interaction between a foundation and the soil is an important factor to evaluate the behavior of the structure. The behavior of the subgrade is complicated and disordered against the forces. So, instead of modeling the soil media with its original nature, the subgrade in the subject of interaction of structure-soil will be replaced with a much simpler system which is called subgrade model, and one of the most known and oldest one of them is Winkler model. The body of the dam is modeled with a concrete wall by using the Solid187 element and the subgrade in the first mode as a flexible weightless foundation. In the second model, the Combin14 element with the subgrade reaction coefficient equal to 10 × 106 for central springs and 12×106 for lateral springs is considered. The obtained results are presented in different diagrams.