Determination of CPT-based Bearing Capacity of Footings Under Surcharge Using State-dependent Finite Element Analysis

The use of the bearing capacity equation is subjected to several uncertainties. In this study, estimation of the bearing capacity of footings based on the cone resistance q is investigated. Non-linear finite element analyses based on a state-dependent stress-strain model were performed to obtain the load-settlement responses of axially loaded circular footings. Various soil and footing conditions, including different relative densities, depths of embedment, and footing diameters were considered in the analyses. Based on the finite element results, load-settlement curves were obtained and used to determine the unit limit bearing capacity in terms of the cone resistance q for footings subjected to surcharge. Values of the unit bearing capacity for different embedment depths were in a narrow range, while considerable variation was observed with relative density D. It was observed that the unit limit bearing capacity normalized with respect to q decreases as D increases for a given surcharge.