Assumptions of conventional mat analysis

The basic assumptions of the conventional (rigid) method of mat analysis are:

1. The mat is perfectly rigid compared with the soil, so it settles as a plane (rigid body) and does not bend appreciably.
2. The soil pressure is linear (planar), given by $q = \dfrac{Q}{A} \pm \dfrac{M_xy}{I_x} \pm \dfrac{M_yx}{I_y}$.
3. The centroid of soil pressure coincides with the line of action of the resultant of the column loads (static equilibrium).
4. The mat is divided into independent strips, with no shear transfer between adjacent strips.
5. The soil is homogeneous, and column spacing and loads vary little (not more than about 20%), and spacing is less than $1.75/\lambda$.