a stochastic approach for determination of settlement under strip footings resting on loose granular media using fractals

from the viewpoint of the probabilistic mechanics of particulate media, settlement of granular soils is modeled by considering the diffusion of intergranular forces and the excess volume of voids, simultaneously. in this paper, fractal theory is applied to estimate the diffusion coefficient of displacements in the governing fokker-planck equation. a new random matrix model satisfying the particle size distribution and porosity of the granular media is used to calculate this coefficient. the theoretical modeling of the steady state deflection pattern under a rigid, strip footing resting on granular soils is found to be in good agreement with experimental data.