Title: Random finite element method for bearing capacity assessment of a shallow foundation under varied uniaxial loadings

Authors: Amal Hentati; Mbarka Selmi; Tarek Kormi; Nizar Bel Hadj Ali

Addresses: Systems and Applied Mechanics Laboratory (LASMAP), Polytechnic School of Tunisia, El-Khawarizmi Street, La Marsa, 2078, Tunisia ' Civil Engineering Laboratory (L.G.C.), National Engineering School of Tunis, ENIT, University of Tunis EL-Manar, LGC-ENIT, BP 37, 1002 Tunis Le Belvédère, Tunisia ' Systems and Applied Mechanics Laboratory (LASMAP), Polytechnic School of Tunisia, El-Khawarizmi Street, La Marsa, 2078, Tunisia ' Systems and Applied Mechanics Laboratory (LASMAP), Polytechnic School of Tunisia, El-Khawarizmi Street, La Marsa, 2078, Tunisia

Abstract: This paper focuses on the application of the random finite element method (RFEM) for the assessment of the uniaxial bearing capacities of a shallow foundation subjected to centred vertical, horizontal and rotational loadings. The analysis combines finite element modelling, spatial variability analysis and Monte Carlo simulation. For this, the soil undrained shear strength is assumed to be variable in both horizontal and vertical directions with spatial dependency expressed via a Markovian autocorrelation function. The application of the proposed methodology to a shallow foundation permitted to highlight the insufficiency of the deterministic approach to predict the uniaxial foundation bearing capacities and led to different failure mechanisms.

Keywords: random finite element method; random fields; spatial variability; shallow foundation reliability.

DOI: 10.1504/IJRS.2018.094939

International Journal of Reliability and Safety, 2018 Vol.12 No.3, pp.237 - 260

Received: 21 Oct 2017
Accepted: 09 Apr 2018
Published online: 27 Sep 2018 *

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