This study proposes a two-dimensional hyperbolic soil spring model for mat foundations in clays subjected to vertically uniform loads to simplify the complexity of three-dimensional finite element analysis on mat foundations. The solutions from three-dimensional finite element analysis were examined to determine the hyperbolic model parameters of the soil springs underneath the slab. Utilizing these model parameters, normalized functions across the middle section of the mat were obtained. The solutions from the proposed model, along with the approximate finite difference analysis of the mat in clays under vertical load, were found to be consistent with those from the three-dimensional finite element analysis. The authors conclude that the proposed method can serve as an alternative for the preliminary design of mat foundations.
