Modelling Ground Beams Supported on Soil in MasterFrame
MasterFrame does not directly provide a continuous soil support beneath a line beam. A ground beam or picture-frame base supported directly by the ground can instead be approximated using a series of vertical spring supports.
Suggested modelling approach
Split the ground beam into a number of shorter analytical members by introducing intermediate nodes.
Apply a vertical spring support at each of these nodes.
Define an appropriate spring stiffness to represent the ground support.
Analyse the frame so that loads applied to the ground beam are distributed through the beam stiffness into the individual springs rather than being transferred entirely to the end supports.
The spring spacing and stiffness are engineering assumptions and must be determined by the designer based on the intended representation of the ground. Finer segmentation generally provides a better approximation of continuous support, but also increases the number of analytical elements and springs.