Capacities of tripod bucket foundation under uniaxial and combined loading considering adhesion factor

Abstract

The capacities of tripod bucket foundation under uniaxial and combined loading in clay are investigated through three-dimensional finite element analyses. The soil remoulding and reduced shear stress at the soil–skirt interface caused by installation are considered through the shear bands and adhesion factors corresponding to different phases of the operation. The undrained shear strength increases linearly with depth, while within the shear bands the strength is reduced by the adhesion factor. Based on finite element results, empirical formulas for uniaxial capacity factors and failure loci are proposed. The uniaxial capacities depend on the aspect ratio, spacing ratio of bucket, soil non-homogeneity, as well as the adhesion factor of clay. However, the adhesion factor does not change the expression of normalized failure loci since its effect has been incorporated in the uniaxial capacities.