BEARING CAPACITY OF ANISOTROPIC NONHOMOGENEOUS MEDIUM UNDER φ=0 CONDITION

Abstract

Literature survey reveals that the undrained shear strength of cohesive soil (normally consolidated and saturated) will be anisotropic in addition to increasing linearly with depth. Bearing capacity of shallow strip footings on such deposits is analysed on the assumption of cylindrical failure surface and results obtained with a computer for a useful range of values of coefficients defining strength anisotropy, strength increase with depth and wall adhesion. Physical reasoning for the characteristics of failure surface such as the deepest level, lateral and vertical spread has been advanced in terms of the computed values of D/b and R/b. Separate charts presented for the bearing capacity factors due to strength anisotropy, strength increase and wall adhesion could be used to compute the composite bearing capacity factor as illustrated by an example.