Bearing capacity and settlement of inclined skirted foundation resting on sand

Abstract

Shallow foundations behavior is improved by using skirts to confine the soil under the foundation beneath. The bearing capacity and settlement of the skirted foundation resting on sand are affected by the angle of the skirt’s inclination. Numerical analysis using Plaxis-3D software was conducted on an axially loaded square-skirted footing in this investigation. In addition, experimental modelling was carried out to validate the numerical analysis findings. The experimental findings revealed an acceptable agreement with the numerical analysis conclusion. The results of the investigation showed that the bearing capacity of the skirted foundation enhances as the skirt’s inclination and embedded skirt length increase. Settlement reduction exceeds the value of 80% in the case of inclined skirts with the same skirt length/footing width of 1.0. The deformation shape showed the collapse of the top surface surrounding the soil of the skited foundation. Charts are provided to evaluate the bearing capacity and settlement of the inclined skirted foundation.