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Published July 15, 2020 | public
Journal Article

Simple Equations for Estimating Bearing Capacity of Liquefiable Soils Underneath Shallow Foundations

Abstract

Assessment of liquefiable soils strength is a challenging task in engineering practice especially when a structure is founded on top of the liquefied soil. While it has been addressed and studied in the literature, the lack of practically feasible approaches to calculate the bearing capacity of soil in such a condition is tangible. In this study, simple analytical equations have been proposed to calculate the bearing capacity of liquefiable soils under shallow foundations. The equations have been developed for two cases, separated based on the thickness of liquefiable soils and width of foundation, each of which acting with different mechanisms. The proposed approach was evaluated versus field observations from the 1964 Niigata, the 1990 Luzon, and the 1999 Adapazari earthquakes, in addition to an assessment against numerical simulations. It was shown that the methodology is capable of estimating the bearing capacity of liquefiable soils under shallow foundations. The obtained results reveal that decreasing the thickness of the liquefiable layer as well as increasing foundation width leads to a higher bearing capacity. Finally, an easy to use design charts and simple equations have been derived for use in engineering practice.

Additional Information

© 2020 Taylor & Francis. Received 25 Feb 2019, Accepted 30 Jun 2020, Published online: 15 Jul 2020.

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 20, 2023