Calculation of marine foundations subjected to repeated loads by means of the homogenization method

Abstract This paper refers to the calculation of foundations of marine structures subjected to a large number of repeated loadings by means of the homogenization procedure. Assuming that the soil behaviour is elasto-visco-plastic, an asymptotic development with regard to the time variable shows that such a calculation is equivalent to the resolution of a creep problem. The fundamental bases of the homogenization method are first presented, then its introduction in the finite element program FONDOF is described. The validity of this method is studied through some examples: repeated undrained triaxial paths and a marine foundation subjected to repeated loads. In each example, numerical results obtained by the homogenization procedure are compared with those obtained by the classical incremental method.