Abstract
The contact pressure distributions obtained in tests with "rigid" footings on a cohesionless sand base, are reviewed first. Whereas in the tests, conducted with relatively small stamps and large loads the recorded pressures were parabolic with a maximum value at the center, tests for larger footings, subjected to loads that are smaller than the bearing capacity, revealed that the distribution is saddle-shaped. This distribution leads to higher bending moments in the footings, than predicted by the common assumption that the pressure is uniform. A method is then proposed to take these findings into consideration, by introducing the observed edge-layer effect into analyses that utilize foundation models. The method is demonstrated on two examples. Paper concludes by comparing the obtained solutions with corresponding test results. It is shown that the proposed method leads to a solution that contains the essential features recorded in tests with footings on a sand base.
