Upper-Bound Analysis of Nγ and Failure Mechanisms of Multiple Equally Spaced Strip Footings

作者：Yang, Feng; Zheng, Xiang-Cou; Sun, Xin-Lei; Zhao, Lian-Heng^*

来源：International Journal of Geomechanics, 2017, 17(9): 06017016.

DOI：10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000984

• Ultimate bearing capacity
• Multiple strip footings
• Rigid translatory moving elements
• Failure mechanism
• Limit analysis

This paper investigates the ultimate bearing capacity factor (N-gamma) and failure mechanisms of multiple rough strip footings with equally clear spacing (S) placed on pure sand using the upper-bound finite-element method with rigid translatory moving elements (UBFEM-RTME). Parametric analysis is performed by varying the dimensionless clear spacing (S/b) and the sand friction angle (phi), and all footings are assumed to be loaded to failure simultaneously with identical bearing loads. The critical spacing distance (S-cr/b) and N-gamma increase continuously with the increase in phi. With the S/b decreasing from S-cr/b, the N-gamma values are found to increase slightly before a rapid increase. The obtained failure mechanisms are primarily composed of mesh-like rigid blocks and a completely curved trapped wedge below the footing base. The relative movement of blocks around footing edges becomes particularly intensive, especially for closely spaced footings and sand with high values of phi.

• 出版日期2017-9
• 单位中南大学