Seismic bearing capacity of shallow embedded strip footing on rock slopes

Present study computes the ultimate bearing capacity of an embedded strip footing situated on the rock slope subjected to seismic loading. Influences of embedment depth of strip footing, horizontal seismic acceleration coefficient, rock slope angle, Geological Strength Index, normalized uniaxial compressive strength of rock mass, disturbance factor, and Hoek -Brown material constant are studied in detail. To perform the analysis, the lower bound finite element limit analysis method in combination with the semidefinite programming is utilized. From the results of the present study, it can be found that the magnitude of the bearing capacity factor reduces quite substantially with an increment in the seismic loading. In addition, with the increment in slope angle, further reduction in the value of the bearing capacity factor is observed. On the other hand, with an increment in the embedment depth, an increment in the value of the bearing capacity factor is found. Stress contours are presented to describe the combined failure mechanism of the footing-rock slope system in the presence of static as well as seismic loadings for the different embedment depths.

Automated summary

This study analyzes the ultimate bearing capacity of an embedded strip footing on a rock slope subjected to seismic loading, showing that the magnitude of the bearing capacity factor decreases significantly with an increment in seismic loading, further decreasing with an increment in slope angle, and increasing with an increment in embedment depth. Stress contours are used to describe the combined failure mechanism of the footing-rock slope system under different embedment depths and types of loading.