Contact interaction between foundation structures and subsoil and its effect on the stiffness characteristics of structural frames in high-rise buildings
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26906/znp.2026.66.4198Keywords:
differential settlements, angular distortion, deformation compatibility, piled-raft foundation, contact pressure, soil–structure interactionAbstract
The increasing proportion of high-rise buildings in dense urban development requires a reliable assessment of contact interaction between foundation structures and subsoil. For such buildings, serviceability and structural reliability are governed not only by absolute settlements, but also by differential settlements, angular distortion and their effect on the spatial behaviour of the structural frame. The aim of this study is to develop a consistent engineering procedure for assessing the subsoil–foundation–building system in high-rise construction. The study is based on a comparative analysis of classical, two-parameter, semi-continuum and continuum subsoil models, including the Winkler, Pasternak, Filonenko-Borodich and Vlasov models, as well as spatial finite element formulations. A unified notation system is used to describe settlements, contact pressure, angular distortion and additional axial forces caused by differential foundation deformation. It is shown that differential settlements and angular distortion are the key engineering indicators for high-rise buildings, since they directly affect the redistribution of forces in columns, walls and other vertical load-bearing elements. A staged modelling procedure is proposed, in which preliminary assessment is followed by refined analysis and subsequent spatial verification of the entire system. An integral suitability index is used for preliminary comparison of raft, pile and piled-raft foundation systems. The practical value of the study lies in formalising the transition from simplified analytical models to detailed spatial analysis and reducing the risk of design decisions in which the structural consequences of differential settlements are underestimated.
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