The relevance of the yield shear strength of plastic clays as the boundary between elastic and progressive plastic settlement of foundations

摘要

The bearing capacity aad settlements of foundation on saturated normally and over consolidated plastic clays are analyze under the concept of the yield shear strength, following the criteria that cohesive clay is a plastic solid and could expected to exhibit the basic properties of such material. A comparative study is made of the elastic and progressive plastic settlements of foundations in this kind of soils following the yield strength concept with the consolidation settlements from the theory of consolidation. Finally the inaccuracy in settlement prediction following the theory of consolidation in this kind of soil is explained and several foundation failures are analyze.