Limit analysis of bearing capacity for a circular footing subjected to eccentric loads

In this paper, limit analysis is applied to a bearing capacity problem of a circular rigid footing on a weightless Tresca material subjected to eccentric vertical loading. The upper-bound and lower-bound solutions obtained here reveal the range in which the exact solution exists. These theoretical results compare favorably with what has been obtained from bearing capacity tests on undrained cohesive soil. This kind of limit analysis has potential applications in the design of shallow foundations subjected to severe loading conditions.