THREE-DIMENSIONAL EFFECTS OF RECTANGULAR EMBANKMENT LOADING PLACED ON SOFT GROUND

Abstract

Although geotechnical problems are inherently three-dimensional (3D), they are frequently
approximated by one-dimensional (1D) or two-dimensional (2D) analyses. These simplifications are often
based on certain assumptions. However, the use of simplified analyses under conditions where the 3D effects
cannot be ignored reduces the accuracy of future predictions. This study aimed to investigate the relevance of
plane strain analyses and 3D analyses, considering the 3D effects on typical load problems. In this study, 3D
parametric analyses were conducted using several models with different embankment lengths in the
longitudinal direction. The elastoplastic constitutive model (The Sekiguchi–Ohta model) and the linear elastic
model were used to investigate the influence of the embankment shape and soil material on the 3D effects. This
study confirms that the 3D effect factors help estimate the displacement of each part while considering the 3D
effects from the analysis results obtained by applying the plane strain condition.