Abstract
Beams and circular plates on elastic foundations are considered. In some cases, additional elastic supports are present. The stiffness distribution of the foundation is designed so that the pressure on the foundation is uniform. Sometimes the depth of the beam or plate is also varied, with either a piecewise-constant sandwich or solid cross-section, and a global measure of the deflection is minimized. The total stiffness of the foundation and supports is specified, as well as the volume of the structure. In one type of problem, the edges of the structure are displaced downwards; in the other examples, a downward load is applied. Types of loads include a concentrated central load, a uniform load and a parabolic load. The uniform foundation pressure for the resulting design is often substantially lower than the maximum pressure for a corresponding uniform beam or plate on an elastic foundation with uniform stiffness.
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Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, August–December 1989
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Dems, K., Plaut, R.H. Design of beams, plates and their elastic foundations for uniform foundation pressure. Structural Optimization 2, 213–222 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01748226
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01748226