Bayesian Updating of Load Settlement Curves for Footings on Cohesionless Soil

Abstract

The design of spread footings on cohesionless soils is generally governed by serviceability requirements. Recent studies have investigated the use of normalized load-settlement curves to model the behavior of footings at all levels of displacement using databases of load tests. An investigation of available databases with complete load-settlement curves indicates that more than 85% of available data corresponds to plate load tests or footings that are smaller than 1.0m in width. There is a need to confirm the applicability of these curves to footings with widths ranging from 1.0m to 10.0 m. The main objective of this paper is to update available normalized load- settlement curves using point measurements of settlement and load from full scale footings. The updating process was conducted using the first-order, second-moment Bayesian method (FSBM) which allows for determining updated load-settlement curves and quantifying the uncertainty associated with these curves to facilitate their use in practical reliability-based design of footings on cohesionless soils.