Development of the theory of computation of pivotally-connected beams on an elastic foundation taking into account their physical nonlinearity

Abstract

This work presents a brief review of the literature on the theory and technique of computation of pivotally-connected structures on a linearly-elastic foundation. The authors refer to the works of B.G.Korenev, G.Ya.Popov, I.A.Simvulidi, R.V.Serebryany and A.G.Yuryev, in which investigations for calculating the pivotally-connected beams and slabs on an elastic foundation are performed using different approaches. From the analysis of the scientific and normative literature on the subject under consideration, a conclusion can be made that there is no common approach to solution of this problem, which would hold for any pivotally connected structures being in contact with any elastic foundation model under the action of an arbitrary external load. Besides, when designing the load carrying members of pavements of motor roads of various purposes in the Republic of Belarus, a number of branch-specific normative documents, where the pavements with the load carrying member and interconnection of members over the track length are considered separately in unconnected setting, is used. In this work, a universal approach for computation of pivotally-connected beams on an elastic foundation in the linear setting and taking into account the physical nonlinearity of the beam material is proposed. This approach is based on a mixed method of structural mechanics and implemented in different foundations taking into account the Zhemochkin’s relations for the functions of influences of an elastic medium.