Experimental and Numerical Studies of Sand Slopes Loaded with Skirted Strip Footing

摘要

Results of laboratory model tests and numerical study on the behavior of a strip footing with structural skirts adjacent to a sand slope are presented and investigated in this research. The studied parameters include the skirts depth, location of the skirted footing relative to the slope crest and the slope inclination. Bearing capacity of a footing without skirts located adjacent to a slope crest was determined and then compared with those of a footing with skirts. The results were analyzed to study the effect of each parameter. The results indicated that using structural skirts for a strip footing located near to a sand slope crest has a significant effect in improving the bearing capacity. This improvement increases when the skirts depth increases and slope angle decreases with a further improvement upon increasing the edge distance of footing from slope crest. This technique can be considered as a good method to control the horizontal movement of the subgrade and for decreasing the slope deformation. The finite element analysis presented in this study helped in better understanding and identifying the failure pattern of skirted footings adjacent to crest of a slope. In addition, it confirmed the load transfer mechanism and illustrated how a slope can be protected when using the skirts.