Improving square skirted foundations behavior on sand

Abstract

Shallow foundations’ behavior is enhanced by using skirts to confine the soil beneath the foundation. The bearing capacity and settlement of skirted foundations resting on the sand are influenced by the size of the skirt cell and the shear strength of the sand. Experimental modelling was carried out on an axially square-skirted footing resting on the sand in this study. Plaxis-3D software was used for numerical analysis to support the experimental results. The numerical analysis results validated the experimental results. The outcomes of the study demonstrated that skirts wider than the footing size increased the bearing capacity of skirted foundations. In the case of a skirt-width/foundation-width ratio of 5/3, settlement reduction may well be valued at more than 77%. The enhancement in bearing capacity of the skirted foundation increases with decreasing relative density of sand. The bearing capacity and settlement of skirted foundations with wider skirts are estimated using charts.