An investigation of shallow foundations on sand under moment loading

The load-carrying capacity of shallow foundations on sand under general loading is often characterised by yield surfaces in three-dimensional load space. These can be used in a framework of strain-hardening plasticity to describe the general load-displacement response of the foundation. The framework was developed based on experimental results from small scale model tests of surface foundations. Since foundation systems used in the field often deviate from the simple case of a surface foundation, notably in terms of embedment, further investigations to assess the applicability of the existing framework to a wider range of foundation configurations are required. A programme of centrifuge tests and finite element analyses has considered surface and embedded foundations to investigate the validity of the existing framework of strain-hardening plasticity to describe the drained plastic response of shallow foundations under general loading. This paper addresses the effect of embedment on the plastic behaviour of shallow foundations on sand under uniaxial and combined loading through the comparison of experimental and numerical results.