Elastic modelling of inherently anisotropic behaviour in sands

Inherent anisotropy is a characteristic of most undistrutbed sand deposits, and influences all stress—strain analyses of the

soil.

An exhaustive experimental investigation carried out on laboratory reconstructed sand samples allowed determination of the elastic

parameters reproducing the anisotropic behaviour of the soil.

These values were introduced into a numerical finite—element model reproducing the behaviour of at shallow foundation and of the soil,

with the aim of evaluating the inherent anisotropy effect on stress distribution and elastic settlement in the soil itself.