Parametric studies on the structural response of hyperbolic paraboloidal shell footing with variation in geometrical configurations

Shell foundations are becoming increasingly popular as a cost-effective and efficient alternative to traditional flat foundations worldwide. The streamlined design and load-bearing capabilities of shell foundations make them well-suited for scenarios where flat foundations might face challenges related to soil conditions, structural loads, or settlement. Ongoing advancements in the analysis and design using finite element methodologies have improved our understanding of their behavior and performance. Further research is needed to investigate their structural performance thoroughly. The purpose of this research is to assess the structural response of hyperbolic paraboloidal shell footing with variations in geometrical configurations. The two components of the interacting system; the soil and the shell foundation, are modeled using the finite element method. The effect of variation in the ratio of shell rise to half of the footing dimension (f/a) and cross-sectional shape of the edge and ridge beams of the footing is investigated while keeping the volume of the footing models equal. Furthermore, the study explores the effect of varying the depth of embedment of the footing. Comparative studies are also carried out between the results obtained by the present analysis and those obtained by other investigations. Hyperbolic paraboloidal shell footing with a f/a ratio of 0.75 is found to be most optimum in terms of performance and design considerations, the vertical settlement is found to be 0.65 times that of a conventional flat footing. It was found that more accurate results can be obtained by replacing the Winkler springs with a semi-infinite soil domain and by FEM modeling of the hyperbolic paraboloidal shell footing, which has both concave and convex curvatures. Compared to surface footings, embedded footings showed lower settlements.