Numerical analysis of circular footings on natural clay stabilized with a granular fill

In this study, numerical predictions of the scale effect for circular footings supported by partially replaced, compacted, layers on natural clay deposits are presented. The scaleeffect phenomenon was analyzed according to the footing sizes. Numerical analyses were carried out using an axisymmetric, two-dimensional, finite-element program. Before conducting the analysis, the validity of the constitutive model was validated using field tests performed by authors with seven different footing diameters up to 0.90 m and with three different partial replacement thicknesses. It is shown that the behavior of the circular footings on natural clay soil and the partial replacement system can be reasonably well represented by the Mohr Coulomb model. The Mohr- Coulomb model parameters were derived from the results of conventional laboratory and field tests. After achieving a good consistency between the results of the test and the numerical analysis, the numerical analyses were continued by increasing the footing diameter up to 25 m, considering the partial replacement thickness up to two times the footing diameter. The results of this parametric study showed that the stabilization had a considerable effect on the bearing capacity of the circular footings and for a given value of H/D the magnitude of the ultimate bearing capacity increases in a nonlinear manner with the footing diameter. The Bearing Capacity Ratio (BCR) was defined to evaluate the improved performance of the reinforced system. It was found, based on numerical and field-test results that the BCR of the partially replaced, natural clay deposits increased with an increase in the footing diameter and there was no significant scale effect of the circular footing resting on natural clay deposits. Copyright © 2014, AGS