Improving the dependability of light vented foundations exposed to vibration load on frost soils

Aim. Today, dynamically-loaded foundations of process equipment often prove to be oversized with significantly overestimated values of stiffness, mass and material consumption. Therefore, reducing the costs and time of construction of gas pipeline facilities, especially on permafrost, is of relevance to PJSC Gazprom. One of the primary ways of solving this problem is installing gas pumping equipment on light vented support structures. The disadvantage of such structures is the low vibration rigidity. A method [1] is proposed for improving the vibration rigidity of a foundation subjected to vibration load. The simulation aims to improve the dependability of light vented foundations by studying vibration displacements of foundations with attached reinforced concrete panels depending on the thermal state of frost soils, parameters of the attached panels and connectors. Methods. Vibration displacements of a foundation with an attached device were identified using the finite element method and the improved computational model of the foundation – GCU – soil system. Results. Computational experiments identified the vibration displacements of the foundation in the cold and warm seasons for the following cases of reinforced concrete plates attached to the foundation: symmetrical and non-symmetrical; at different distances; through connectors with different stiffness parameters; with additional weights; frozen to the ground. Conclusions were made based on the results of simulation of vibration displacements of foundations with an attached device in cold and warm seasons. Conclusion. The presented results of computational experiments aimed at improving the vibration rigidity of light foundations by using method [1] show sufficiently good indicators of reduced vibration displacements of the foundation. Thus, in the case of symmetrical connection of four reinforced concrete panels in summer, the reduction of vibration displacements is 42.4%, while increased stiffness of the connectors, attachment of additional weights and freezing of reinforced concrete panels into the ground will allow reducing the vibration displacements of the foundation up to 2.5 times. However, it should be noted, that applying the findings in the process of development of project documentation and construction of foundations requires R&D activities involving verification and comparison of the obtained results of numerical simulation with a natural experiment.