Effect of the Slope on the Undrained Bearing Capacity of Shallow Foundation

Abstract

The bearing capacity of shallow foundation near slope has always been one of the subjects of major interest in geotechnical engineering for researchers and practical engineers. This study focuses on the numerical analysis of the undrained bearing capacity for a strip footing near a slope, and subjected to a centered vertical load, using the explicit finite difference code FLAC (Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua). Theoretical and experimental studies confirm that, when a strip footing is near a slope, the bearing capacity must be assessed using reduction coefficients. In this study, several geometrical and mechanical parameters have been considered in order to evaluate the effect of the slope on the undrained bearing capacity. The numerical values have been compared with those available in the literature. The results show the influence on the undrained bearing capacity of the location of the footing with respect to the slope.