ORIGINAL PAPER The Effect of Spatial Correlation of Cone Tip Resistance on the Bearing Capacity of Shallow Foundations

Abstract The effect of directional behaviour of correlation structure of cone tip resistance on the bearing capacity of shallow strip footing resting on cohesionless soil deposit in 2-D random field is analysed using probabilistic approach. The results obtained from the analysis show that the assumption of perfect (or infinite) correlation of cone tip resis-tance data leads to lower values of probability of failure. In contrast, the isotropic assumption of correlation behaviour based on vertical scale of fluctuation leads to higher values of probability of failure. The results also show that the transforma-tion model would play a major role in the evaluation of variability of design property. In conclusion, the need for a proper evaluation methodology for calcu-lation of correlation lengths of soil properties and their influence in foundation design is highlighted