A Stress-Density Framework for Circular Footing Bearing Capacity on Sand Surface

Different sands may have various shear strengths and, thus, various stress-strain responses, although they may have the same relative densities, Dr, and mean effective stresses, p '. Therefore, it is possible that estimating the bearing capacity of a circular footing on sand surface based on a constant peak angle of internal friction may not accurately reflect the actual bearing capacity. The present work employed a three-dimensional finite element model (3D-FEM) to model a rough rigid circular footing on homogeneous dry sand. The hypoplastic model has been employed to model sand behavior. It can accurately replicate the shear and compression characteristics of sands across a wide spectrum of densities and stresses. The model has been validated using experimental centrifuge and one-element tests available in the literature. The critical angle of internal friction, phi cr, has been considered as the main parameter. Subsequent investigations are conducted utilizing parametric analysis. The primary aim is to evaluate the anticipated N gamma of different types of sand and to provide an applicable solution to a wide range of sand properties.