A parametric study for thick plates resting on elastic foundation with variable soil depth

The soil depth is generally considered to be constant for the analysis of plates resting on elastic foundation in the literature. However, it is most reasonable to have a variable subsoil depth as the plate dimensions get larger. In present study, linearly varying subsoil depth is considered as well as constant, linear and quadratic variation of modulus of elasticity with subsoil depth. Also, a parametric study is performed to demonstrate the behavior of thick plates on elastic foundations with variable soil depth. Modified Vlasov Model is used for the analysis of the plate foundation system, and 8-noded Mindlin plate element incorporating shear strain throughout plate thickness is used for the finite element model. Numerical examples are obtained from the literature to compare results and to show the influence of variable soil stratum depth on the behavior of plates. Displacements, bending moments, and shear forces are presented in tabular and graphical formats. As far as results are compared, it can be concluded that variable soil depth significantly affects the variation of the displacements and therefore the internal forces of the plate while keeping it constant ends up with unrealistic results.