Vibratory Machine Foundation Design: When to Perform a Dynamic Analysis

Current codes and standards do not address all aspects of design of soil supported vibratory machine foundations for Petrochemical and other industrial facilities. Many engineers and companies involved in the industry have developed procedures and techniques for calculating loads for analyses on such foundations. The criteria for performing a dynamic analysis can vary significantly from source to source and lead to inconsistent structural reliability. This paper provides a summary of design requirements found in selected current standards and common practices in the industry. A study is presented for small vibratory machinery foundations examples analyzed using commercially available software. Recommendations are provided for determining if it is necessary to perform a dynamic analysis for soil supported vibratory machine foundations based on parameters included in the study. Also included is a discussion of other related issues to vibratory machine foundation analysis. This paper identifies the major considerations for vibratory machine foundation design. It makes recommendations for when it is appropriate to use the rule-of-thumb methods for foundation systems and when to perform dynamic analysis.