Numerical Study of the Effect of the Shape and Area of Shallow Foundations on the Bearing Capacity of Sandy Soils

Abstract

The settlement and bearing capacity of shallow foundation models with different shapes and areas on cohesionless subsoil under the applied vertical load are presented in this study. Different shapes of foundations with rectangular, square, strip, plus horizontal cross-sectional shapes are numerically studied after the validation on the laboratory model has been conducted and the constitutive soil model that simulates the behaviour of sandy soil has been chosen. The result of the validation showed that the HS model is the most suitable for the simulation of stress-deformation behaviour of sand. The effect of the shape and area are clearly visible and greatly affects the bearing capacity of the soil. The study generally compared Vesic's, Hansen's and German’s bearing capacity equations and showed that Vesic's and Hansen's bearing capacity equations are best suited to the bearing capacity computed from numerical analysis by Plaxis3D. Finally, as a development of Hansen's bearing capacity equation, a new equation of plus shape foundation bearing capacity has been determined.