Pressure - Settlement Characteristics of Shallow Foundations using Finite Element Method

Abstract

The present study attempts to represent the behavior of shallow foundations under the effect of eccentric inclined loading in terms of the main criteria of design which are the ultimate bearing capacity, permissible settlement, horizontal displacement and tilt. Due to the square shape of the analysed foundations, three dimensional finite element analysis are used. Elastic-perfectly plastic behavior of soil and rigid of foundations was adopted using Mohr-Coulomb criterion, 15-Node wedge elements were used to model and represent the soil and 5-Node linear elements with three degree of freedom to model and represent the foundations in used program PLAXIS 3D TUNNEL version 1.2.The results of analysis were presented in the form of pressure-settlement, pressure-horizontal displacement and pressure-tilt characteristics. Then the ultimate bearing capacity of the foundations were gotten and compared with (Meyerhof, 1956) and (Saran & Agrawal, 1991), a good agreement was found between them. Using the data obtained from the analysis, non-dimensional correlations have been developed for predicting the values of settlement, horizontal displacement and tilt of eccentrically-obliquely loaded foundations. These relationships can be used by the engineers.