Numerical and Experimental Study on the Effect of Overburden and Weak layer Parameters on the Bearing Capacity of circular Footing

Abstract

The bearing capacity of circular footings on layered soil masses with weak soil layers is a crucial issue in geotechnical engineering. In this paper, a numerical and experimental investigation was conducted to study the effect of weak layer parameters and overburden on the bearing capacity of circular footings. A small-scale physical model was used to conduct experimental tests, while numerical simulations were performed using a finite element method software package. The experimental and numerical results were compared, and the findings were in strong agreement with one another. The study showed that the presence of a weak layer in the soil significantly reduces the bearing capacity of circular footings. The thickness, depth, and overburden of the weak layer were found to have a significant impact on the bearing capacity of the footing. In this study, the buried depth of weak layer was 8 cm, where the depth-to-diameter ratio of the footing is equal to one. At this depth, the weak lens layer also affects the bearing capacity, and depending on its thickness, it results in a decrease in bearing capacity by 14 to 19 percent. The effect of one-sided loading in the presence of a weak layer in the bed is greater than in a homogeneous bed. The presence of asymmetric overburden substantially reduces the negative impact of the weak lens. The paper provides insights into the behavior of circular footings on layered soil masses with weak soil layers, which can help in designing more reliable and cost-effective foundations.