The Bearing Capacity of Footings near Slope Considering the Footing-Soil Interaction

Abstract

In some cases, structures are built on or near aslope. The ultimate bearing capacity of the foundations for these structures issignificantly affected by the presence of the slope. In this paper, the ultimate bearing capacity of footings near slopes is investigated by the finiteelement method. Consideration is given to the effect of slope angle, height ofslope, the distance from the edge of the slope to the footing, soil propertiesand the interaction between the soil and footing. Conclusions are drawn: Ingeneral, the dimensionless bearing capacity qu/γB increases with theincrease of the ratio cu/γB, the increase of L/B, and decrease ofthe slope angle β. Thecurves describing the relationship between cu/γB and qu/γBcan be characterized using three main properties, namely a linear section, anon-linear section, and zero bearing capacity point. Within the linear section,local bearing capacity failure contained to within the face of the slope; theheight of the slope does not influence the bearing capacity. In the non-linearsection, the curves of the relation (cu/γB, qu/γB) isgoverned by overall slope failure.