Shallow Circular Foundations on Saturated Clay

H. A. Taiebat - Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
J. P. Carter - Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.

The results of numerical studies of the problem of bearing capacity of shallow circular foundations under combinations of vertical load, horizontal load and moment are presented in this paper. These studies include the performance of the foundations under large overturning moments and large horizontal loads. Two extreme conditions were assumed for the contact between the soil and the foundation; an interface with full adhesion and an interface that is unable to sustain tension and therefore allows for breakaway under large overturning moments. The results of the numerical analyses are presented in the form of failure loci in the vertical, horizontal and moment loading space. Comparisons are made between the results of the current study and the conventional equations commonly used in bearing capacity calculation

Bearing capacity, circular foundation, numerical modelling, failure surface