Estimation of bearing capacity of shallow footings on layered sand using finite elements analysis

Purpose This paper aims to estimate the bearing capacity of a surface strip and circular footings lying on layered sand using numerical limit analysis. Design/methodology/approach Lower and upper bound limit analysis, as well as finite elements and second-order conic programming (SOCP), are used in this analysis. The yield criterion of Mohr-Coulomb is used to model soil behavior. Using this technique, stringent lower and upper bounds on ultimate bearing capacity can be achieved by assuming an associated flow law. Findings The obtained results indicate that the exact collapse load is typically being bracketed to within 6% about a mean of both the bounds. The obtained results are compared with the existing literature wherever applicable. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study has used lower and upper bound limit analysis, as well as finite elements and SOCP, to estimate the bearing capacity of a surface strip and circular footings lying on layered sand.