Analysis of the foundation slab settlement of the “Africa Pavilion” facility in Wrocław

This article presents the results of numerical calculations of soil consolidation underneath the “Africa Pavilion” structure in Wrocław Zoo, Poland. To determine the deformations of the baseplate of the “Africa Pavilion” and deformations of the subsoil, Biot’s consolidation theory for two-phase medium was applied. The calculations were carried out using the professional program FlexPDE v.6, which is based on the Finite Element Method. Numerical calculations performed were used to evaluate the design assumptions allowing for the laying of hydraulic conduits under the slab.