Experimental Evaluation of Bearing Capacity of Skirted Footings

Abstract

Structural skirts have been used underneath shallow foundations of marine structures for many years, due to their stability advantages. However limited knowledge is available on the performance of the skirted foundations when it comes to their usage as conventional shallow foundations. In this research study the bearing capacity of such foundations was evaluated through laboratory testing. In this context the effects of skirt stiffness and depth on the bearing capacity of skirted footing models were investigated. The test results were then compared with various bearing capacity equations. It was found that using structural skirts may improve the footing bearing capacity up to 3.68 times depending on the geometry and structural specifications of the skirts and footings, soil characteristics and conditions of both soil-skirt and soil-footing interfaces.