GEOTECHNICAL ISSUES OF INVESTIGATION OF THE TECHNICAL CONDITION OF THE STRUCTURE ON WEAK SOILS ACCORDING TO BEM

Abstract

The article considers geotechnical aspects of assessing the technical condition of structures erected on weak loess soils prone
to degradation and wetting. A special focus is given to the controversial issue of applying an increasing factor to the soil
deformation modulus obtained from compression tests. To evaluate the reliability of two approaches, calculations of silo
foundations settlements were carried out using the numerical boundary element method (BEM) and an elastic-plastic soil model.
Two calculation options were analyzed: with and without the increasing factor.
The results of numerical simulations were compared with the finite element method (FEM) and with experimental data. The
comparison revealed that applying the increasing factor does not always ensure adequate settlement prediction, and in some
cases leads to underestimation of deformations. The research highlights the importance of developing more accurate numerical
methods for soil–structure interaction analysis, rather than relying solely on empirical coefficients.
The practical significance of the study is in improving the methodology for predicting the performance of loessial saturated
soils foundations, which is essential for ensuring the reliability and durability of grain storage silos and similar facilities. The results
may be applied to enhance design standards, improve calculation methods, and support the use of modern numerical tools in
geotechnical engineering.