A new failure mechanism for clayey-soil foundation beds of structures

Abstract

A new failure mechanism of beds formed from compressible clayey soils exposes the essence of a concept - the bearing capacity of the foundation beds of structures and its interrelation with the development of settlements. It is proposed to distinguish four states of a foundation bed with increasing external vertical load in lieu of the three deformation phases known from regulatory literature. Laws governing consolidation and shear deformations within the limits of the deformation zone under a foundation are established in full-scale experimental studies. The soil medium is considered discrete, but not continuous. Development of the first failure surface, and the essence of the bed-failure process as a series of sequential collapses along similar surfaces as the foundation settles are substantiated.