چکیده : 

Lightly loaded structures constructed on expansive soils may develop structural damage as a result of

changes in the soil’s moisture content. This study investigated an analytical model of soil–structure interaction

to assess the settlement of dwellings built on swelling soils when droughts occur. The building

behavior was investigated with the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory, and the ground behavior was investigated

with a Winkler-derived model based on the state surface approach. The analytical model results

were compared to those of a finite element analysis using the Barcelona Expansive Model (BExM) performed

with Code_Bright.

The analytical model was then used to assess the settlement transmission ratio for a typology of clayey

soils and different parameters of building. The results indicated that the final deflection of the building

increased with the building length and soil suction. The building deflection due to the suction variations

was inversely proportional to the load, the rigidity of the building and the embedding depth of the foundation.

Increasing these parameters made the building less vulnerable to shrinkage and swelling action