Bearing Capacity of Foundations in Slopes

TLDR

The method is based on centrifuge tests reported in 1988 and on physical tests rather than theory. The paper proposes a method for designing foundations on slopes of cohesionless material, extending centrifuge findings with additional model tests. The design procedure incorporates centrifuge and other model test results, then corrects the footing capacity for slope proximity. The method innovatively rates slope footing capacity as a percentage of level‑ground capacity, allowing local experience to set safe limits, eliminates footing‑size corrections, and is straightforward and practical for common design geometries.

Abstract

A method of designing foundations on slopes of cohesionless material such as sand and normally consolidated clay is described. The method is based on the results of centrifuge tests that were reported in 1988. In order to extend the centrifuge findings out under the slope, the results of other model tests were incorporated into the design procedure which is outlined. Thus the method presented here is based on physical tests rather than on theory. One innovation is that the bearing capacity of a footing on or near a slope is rated as a percentage of the capacity that the same footing would have on the surface of level ground. This means that local experience can be used to determine the safe capacity of the reference, level‐ground footing. This capacity can then be corrected to take into account the proximity of the slope. A second innovation is that the designer need not correct for footing size, since the tests were run on footings of reasonable scale. The method is straightforward and simple to use, and covers the design geometries that are most likely to be met in practice.