Seismic bearing capacity of skirted footings using finite element analysis

Studies pertaining to the seismic bearing capacity analysis of skirted footings using the pseudo-static approach for estimation of the earthquake force in association with finite element method have been presented in this paper. An attempt has been made to explain the behaviors of the skirted footings by means of failure patterns obtained for rigid and flexible skirts. The skirts enhance the seismic bearing to some extent with an increase in seismic loading, after which it decreases nonlinearly. The effectiveness of skirts increases initially to some extent with an increase in seismic loading, after which it decreases nonlinearly. Other parameters that inversely affect the effectiveness of skirts are the depth of footing and the internal friction angle of the soil. The detailed finite element analysis regarding the various failure patterns of skirted footings under seismic forces shows the failure mechanism changes from a general shear failure to local shear failure with an increase in seismic force. An opposite trend has been observed with the increase in the angle of internal friction of the soil. The obtained analysis results suggest that a rigid skirted footing behaves similar to a conventional strip footing under seismic and static loadings. The excessive deflection of flexible skirts under combined gravity and seismic loading renders them relatively ineffective than rigid skirts.