Seismic Bearing Capacity of Strip Footing on Excavations Considering Soil Strength Anisotropy Using Modified Pseudo‐Dynamic and Pseudo‐Static Approaches

Abstract

Although considerable research has explored the static and seismic bearing capacity of strip footings on slopes or excavations, the influence of clay strength anisotropy on the bearing capacity of strip footing near excavations, specifically considering pseudo‐dynamic conditions, remains unexplored. This study used the finite element limit analysis (FELA) method to evaluate the impact of clay strength anisotropy on the seismic bearing capacity of strip footings. The effects of various dimensionless parameters on the bearing capacity were examined, which include shear wavelength, the setback distance ratio, vertical height ratio, soil strength ratio, soil strength heterogeneity, anisotropic ratio, and horizontal and vertical acceleration coefficients. Design charts were developed to compute the seismic bearing capacity of strip footings on nonhomogeneous and anisotropic excavations under pseudo‐static conditions. Furthermore, the effects of vertical acceleration coefficients and shear wavelength on the seismic bearing capacity of strip footing near excavation in nonhomogeneous and anisotropic soils were investigated.