Role od 3D-Finite Element Modeling in the Analysis of Soil-Structure Interaction Problems

Engineering design and analysis often rely on simplified models. These models are convenient and practical for use in routine applications. However, they have some inherent limitations. Most significant among these limitations are their inability to model true non-linear material behavior, actual construction sequence, dynamic effects of moving traffic loads, the actual 3-dimensional configuration of the structure and the loading pattern. As a general rule, these simplified analysis methods rely on assumptions that are conservative. But sometimes the degree of conservatism used in such simplified analysis can be so high that the analysis leads to uneconomical designs. This paper illustrates the limitations in simplified analysis using procedures used in culvert load rating as an example. In this research study a 3D finite element (FE) model was used to investigate observed discrepancies between culvert load ratings obtained from simplified procedures and culvert structural condition a