Load–settlement response of shallow foundations resting on granular soil

Abstract

Proper estimation of settlement of shallow foundations resting on granular soil deposits has a significant role in the design and construction of buildings and other related structures. While several procedures are available in the literature, discrepancies still exist between the predicted and observed responses. Furthermore, there is a decoupling between bearing capacity and settlement assessment for the same foundation and soil type. This paper presents a new model which was developed to assess load–settlement response up to ultimate soil failure. The model utilizes Mohr–Coulomb criteria coupled with a stress–strain relationship that captures the behavior of granular soil up to large strains. The model has been verified using documented results reported in the literature. Furthermore, two full-scale plate load experiments were recently performed at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), utilizing a large soil box 10 ft. (3.048 m) × 10 ft. (3.048 m) × 7 ft. (2.134 m). The experiments modeled single-layer and multi-layer soil structure. The load-settlement responses up to bearing capacity failure are reported for both experiments.