Effect of Slope Inclination on V-H and V-M Capacity Envelope of Strip Foundation on Undrained Clay Slope

Abstract

In this article, a numerical study is presented to estimate the capacity of the strip foundations located on undrained clay slopes and subjected to the combined action of V-H or V-M loadings. A series of ‘Probe’ analyses is performed using OptumG2 (a finite element limit analysis package) for 2D plane-strain soil slope models with different inclinations, to develop the V-H and V-M capacity envelopes considering both lower- and upper-bound solution. To understand the effect of slope inclination on the capacity envelopes of foundations on slopes, the results are compared for the same foundation located on flat ground. The vertical capacity of foundations on the slope (β = 40°) was significantly reduced (≈15%) as compared to the same foundation on flat ground. It was observed that the V-H capacity envelope of the foundation on the slope was more asymmetric as compared to the asymmetry in the case of V-M capacity envelope. These capacity envelopes of the foundation on slopes help to further understand the possible failure mechanism of the foundation-slope system.KeywordsCapacity envelopeFinite element limit analysis (FELA)Probe analysisUndrained clay slope