Random bearing capacity evaluation of shallow foundations for asymmetrical failure mechanisms with spatial averaging and inclusion of soil self-weight

In this study, multi-block failure mechanisms in conjunction with Vanmarcke's spatial averaging approach are used to evaluate random bearing capacity. This new approach examines the impact of the asymmetrical mechanism in spatially variable soil and the effect of anisotropy. The soil strength parameters were modelled by random fields that were discretized by spatial averaging along slip surfaces. Reliability indices were evaluated for symmetrical and asymmetrical cases. The results show that for higher values of horizontal fluctuation scales, the difference between symmetrical and asymmetrical approaches becomes negligible; however, for smaller values, it can be significant.