An effective Galerkin Boundary Element Method for a 3D half-space subjected to surface loads

In this work, a simple and effective numerical model is proposed for solving the problem of a three-dimensional elastic and isotropic half-space subjected to surface vertical displacements and pressures. For this purpose, the Galerkin Boundary Element Method for a three-dimensional half-space is introduced, and both surface displacement and pressure fields are discretized in order to obtain fast and accurate numerical solution. Assuming a piecewise constant discretization of both surface displacement and pressure fields, several numerical tests are performed showing the effectiveness of the model, for instance by determining accurately the translational and rotational stiffness of a rigid rectangular foundation on elastic half-space, together with the displacements generated by a uniform surface pressure over a rectangular area.