Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Ultimate bearing capacity of two interfering strip footings on sand overlying clay

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
Acta Geotechnica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Foundations may be constructed at close spacings. Prior investigations have presented insights into the interference effect of two nearby shallow foundations on homogenous soils. However, soils are often deposited in layers, such as a sand layer overlying clay. Hence, the interference effect of two adjacent foundations on their ultimate bearing capacity for sand overlying clay has been a relevant topic, which is complex because it is tied to a coupling effect of the geometric configurations and the soil properties. In this paper, the ultimate bearing capacity of two interfering strip footings on sand overlying clay is determined using an upper-bound limit state plasticity method known as discontinuity layout optimization (DLO). The solution is illustrated as design charts constructed through the use of dimensionless parameters. Parametric studies are performed to explore the influence of geometric and strength parameters on the bearing capacity and the failure mechanism. A simplified model is developed based on the data obtained from DLO. Validations are carried out to demonstrate the accuracy of the developed model using various statistical criteria, including coefficient of determination (R2), arithmetic mean and coefficient of variation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

References

  1. Burd HJ, Frydman S (1997) Bearing capacity of plane-strain footings on layered soils. Can Geotech J 34(2):241–253

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Das BM, Larbi-Cherif S (1983) Bearing capacity of two closely-spaced shallow foundations on sand. Soils Found 23(1):1–7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Das BM, Puri VK, Neo BK (1993) Interference effects between two surface footings on layered soil. Transp Res Rec Transp Res Board Washington, DC 1406:34–40

    Google Scholar 

  4. Drucker DC, Greenberg W, Prager W (1952) Extended limit design theorems for continuous media. Q J Appl Math 9(4):381–389

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  5. Ganesh R, Khuntia S, Sahoo JP (2016) Bearing capacity of shallow strip foundations in sand under eccentric and oblique loads. Int J Geomech 17(4):06016028

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Hanna AM, Meyerhof GG (1980) Design charts for ultimate bearing capacity of foundations on sand overlying soft clay. Can Geotech J 17(2):300–303

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Hazell E C J (2004) Interaction of closely spaced strip footings. Final year project report, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford

  8. Hjiaj M, Lyamin AV, Sloan SW (2005) Numerical limit analysis solutions for the bearing capacity factor Nγ. Int J Solids Struct 42(5–6):1681–1704

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Kumar A, Saran S (2003) Closely spaced footings on geogrid-reinforced sand. J Geotechn Geoenviron Eng 129(7):660–664

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Kumar J, Bhattacharya P (2013) Bearing capacity of two interfering strip footings from lower bound finite elements limit analysis. Int J Numer Anal Meth Geomech 37(5):441–452

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Kumar J, Ghosh P (2007) Ultimate bearing capacity of two interfering rough strip footings. Int J Geomech 7(1):53–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Kumar J, Ghosh P (2007) Upper bound limit analysis for finding interference effect of two nearby strip footings on sand. Geotech Geol Eng 25(5):499

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Kumar J, Kouzer KM (2008) Bearing capacity of two interfering footings. Int J Numer Anal Meth Geomech 32(3):251–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Lavasan AA, Ghazavi M, Blumenthal A, Schanz T (2018) Bearing capacity of interfering strip footings. J Geotechn Geoenviron Eng 144(3):04018003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Lee KK, Cassidy MJ, Randolph MF (2013) Bearing capacity on sand overlying clay soils, experimental and finite-element investigation of potential punch-through failure. Géotechnique 63(15):1271

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Leshchinsky B (2015) Bearing capacity of footings placed adjacent to c′-ϕ′ slopes. J Geotechn Geoenviron Eng 141(6):04015022

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Leshchinsky B, Ambauen S (2015) Limit equilibrium and limit analysis: comparison of benchmark slope stability problems. J Geotechn Geoenviron Eng 141(10):04015043

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Limit State (2013) Limit State, Geo manual v 3.0, Sheffield, U.K

  19. Liu Q, Lehane B M (2020) A centrifuge investigation of the relationship between the vertical response of footings on sand and CPT end resistance. Géotechnique: 1–11

  20. Liu QB, Lehane BM, Tian Y (2020) Bearing capacity and stiffness of embedded circular footings on stiff-over-soft clay. J Geotechn Geoenviron Eng 146(11):06020020

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Mabrouki A, Benmeddour D, Frank R, Mellas M (2010) Numerical study of the bearing capacity for two interfering strip footings on sands. Comput Geotech 37(4):431–439

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Mandel J (1965) Plastic interference of strip footings in French. Proc, 6th Int. Conf. Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Vol. II, University of Toronto Press, Toronto:127–141

  23. Meyerhof GG (1974) Ultimate bearing capacity of footings on sand layer overlying clay. Can Geotech J 11(2):223–229

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Michalowski RL, Shi L (1995) Bearing capacity of footings over two-layer foundation soils. J Geotechn Eng 121(5):421–428

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Naghibi F, Fenton GA, Griffiths DV (2014) Prediction of pile settlement in an elastic soil. Comput Geotech 60:29–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Saha Roy S, Deb K (2018) Interference effect of closely spaced footings resting on granular fill over soft clay. Int J Geomech 19(1):04018181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Salimi Eshkevari S, Abbo AJ, Kouretzis G (2018) Bearing capacity of strip footings on sand over clay. Can Geotech J 56(5):699–709

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Saran S, Agarwal VC (1974) Interference of surface footings on sand. Indian Geotechn J 4(2):129–139

    Google Scholar 

  29. Shiau JS, Lyamin AV, Sloan SW (2003) Bearing capacity of a sand layer on clay by finite element limit analysis. Can Geotech J 40(5):900–915

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Silvestri V (2003) A limit equilibrium solution for bearing capacity of strip foundations on sand. Can Geotech J 40(2):351–361

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Smith C, Gilbert M (2013) Identification of rotational failure mechanisms in cohesive media using discontinuity layout optimization. Geotechnique 63(14):1194–1208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Stuart JG (1962) Interference between foundations with special reference to surface footings in sand. Geotechnique 12(1):15–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Tang C, Phoon KK, Zhang L et al (2017) Model uncertainty for predicting the bearing capacity of sand overlying clay. Int J Geomech 17(7):04017015

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Yang S, Leshchinsky B, Cui K et al (2020) Influence of failure mechanism on seismic bearing capacity factors for shallow foundations near slopes. Géotechnique: 1–46

  35. Yang S, Leshchinsky B, Cui K et al (2019) Unified approach toward evaluating bearing capacity of shallow foundations near slopes. J Geotechn Geoenviron Eng 145(12):04019110

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Yu X, Zheng G, Zhou H, Chai J Influence of geosynthetic reinforcement on the progressive failure of rigid columns under an embankment load. Acta geotechnica (Accepted)

  37. Zheng G, Wang E, Zhao J et al (2019) Ultimate bearing capacity of vertically loaded strip footings on sand overlying clay. Comput Geotech 115:103151

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Zheng G, Xia B, Zhou H et al (2020) Seismic bearing capacity of strip footings on ground reinforced by stone columns using upper-bound solutions. Int J Geomech 20(9):06020024

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Zheng G, Yu X, Zhou H et al (2021) Influence of geosynthetic reinforcement on the stability of an embankment with rigid columns embedded in an inclined underlying stratum. Geotext Geomembr 49(1):180–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Zheng G, Zhao J, Zhou H, Zhang T (2019) Ultimate bearing capacity of strip footings on sand overlying clay under inclined loading. Comput Geotech 10(6):266–273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Zhou H, Zheng G, Zhao J (2018) Design charts and simplified approach for the bearing capacity of strip footings on sand overlying clay. In: Proceedings of China-Europe conference on geotechnical engineering. Springer, Cham, pp 1102–1105

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 52078337, 51708405 and 41630641). The authors appreciate the financial support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China

    Gang Zheng, Jiapeng Zhao & Haizuo Zhou

  2. Key Laboratory of Coast Civil Structure Safety, Tianjin University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, 300072, China

    Gang Zheng, Jiapeng Zhao & Haizuo Zhou

  3. Key Laboratory of Earthquake Engineering Simulation and Seismic Resilience of China Earthquake Administration, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China

    Haizuo Zhou

Authors
  1. Gang Zheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jiapeng Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Haizuo Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Haizuo Zhou.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zheng, G., Zhao, J. & Zhou, H. Ultimate bearing capacity of two interfering strip footings on sand overlying clay. Acta Geotech. 16, 2301–2311 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-021-01153-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-021-01153-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation