ANN-based model for predicting the bearing capacity of strip footing on multi-layered cohesive soil

In reality, footings are most likely to be founded on multi-layered soils. The existing methods for predicting the bearing capacity of 4-layer up to 10-layer cohesive soil are inaccurate. This paper aims to develop a more accurate bearing capacity prediction method based on multiple regression methods and multilayer perceptrons (MLPs), one type of artificial neural networks (ANNs). Predictions of bearing capacity from the developed multiple regression models and MLP in tractable equations form are obtained and compared with the value predicted using traditional methods. The results indicate ANNs are able to predict accurately the bearing capacity of strip footing and outperform the existing methods. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.